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Chicago celebrity chef Rick Bayless expands into ghost kitchens: Rick Bayless is turning his latest fast-casual concept, Tortazo, into a dark kitchen for his well-known Tortas Frontera brand. Tortazo opened in January at the base of Willis Tower, selling a menu of griddle-crisped tortas, chilaquiles, bowls and salads. When COVID hit, the restaurant temporarily closed.
Tortazo reopened recently for carryout and delivery orders now powered by Tillster, a digital ordering platform for restaurants.
Due to demand for Bayless’ famed Chicago O’Hare Airport brand Tortas Frontera, Bayless is now using the Tortazo’s kitchen as a dark kitchen for the concept. The famed tortas can now be ordered online for delivery in Chicago.
Bayless is also using ghost kitchen operator Kitchen United for delivery and carryout orders for Tortas Frontera, according to his website.
“We wanted to meet our customers where they are, so the transition to a ghost kitchen and digital ordering was critical,” Patrick Little, director of operations, said in a statement. “To be successful, we needed to get up and running quickly with a familiar and beloved brand, and Tillster’s solutions allowed us to deploy a new integrated digital system.”
Ziosk expands platform options: Tabletop tablet pioneer Ziosk is rolling out a line of new products developed for the evolving COVID-19 environment. New digital solutions include Ziosk Virtual (contactless ordering and payment using QR codes and mobile devices); Ziosk Pro (handheld device for processing credit cards at the table or curbside); and Ziosk Mini (a smaller version of the original Ziosk tablet designed for menu browsing and ordering at the bar or a table for two).
This week, Ziosk also announced a new restaurant relief program. The “No Risk COVID Relief Pricing Program” waives monthly fees for new partners until those restaurants are able to operate at 100% occupancy based on government mandates, the company said.
Since the onset of COVID-19, Ziosk said it has seen a surge in use of its tablets.
Roughly 91% of Olive Garden diners, for example, are using Ziosk to pay at the table, compared to 71% before the pandemic.
Little Caesars added to third-party delivery app: This week, Little Caesars became available for delivery on DoorDash. The brand has been using DoorDash to fulfill delivery orders made through the brand’s digital channels, often dubbed last-mile delivery.
But, this week, Little Caesars dipped its toe for the first time into third-party delivery by expanding its partnership with DoorDash.
The brand can now be found on the DoorDash app. Roughly, 3,400 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada are on the delivery operator’s marketplace.
Ed Gleich, senior vice president of innovation at Little Caesars, said: "We're excited to expand our product availability to the DoorDash app so pizza lovers can have even more options."
Taco Bell expands DoorDash delivery: On Wednesday, Taco Bell expanded its relationship with DoorDash, marking a significant shift for the quick-service chain which previously had a nationwide exclusive delivery partnership with Grubhub.
Irvine, Calif.-based Taco Bell had used DoorDash at selection locations. Now, more than 5,000 Taco Bell restaurants are on the DoorDash app. That represents a majority of Taco Bell’s domestic locations.
McDelivery promotion: McDonald’s is offering free delivery through Uber Eats for the upcoming Halloween weekend. The zero fee for delivery will occur on orders made through Uber Eats from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1.
