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9 restaurant tech innovations to watch for9 restaurant tech innovations to watch for

Companies swarm the NRA show with cutting-edge practical solutions

Nancy Luna, Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

May 23, 2019

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This special edition of Tech Tracker looks at game changing startups and new innovations spotted at the NRA show.

I walked more than 35,000 steps over three days at the 100th annual National Restaurant Association show in Chicago in search of practical but cutting-edge innovations that could benefit restaurants.

The trade show was bursting at the seams with startups and convention rookies looking to dazzle operators with everything from voice activated robots to tablet-free tableside payment solutions.

My favorite tech solutions, however, were disruptors of the disruptors like Synk Delivery, a delivery solution aimed at saving restaurants from margin-hurting third-party delivery fees. I was also impressed with Locl, a Portland-based company working with Google Maps to enhance a restaurant’s increasingly important Google listing. 

Here’s a look at these and seven other companies developing new tech tools for restaurants.

About the Author

Nancy Luna

Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Nancy Luna is a senior editor at Nation's Restaurant News and a contributing editor at Supermarket News. She covers the industry's largest and most talked about fast-food brands including McDonald's, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Subway. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years reporting experience. As a veteran business reporter based in Southern California, Nancy has covered some of the country's most beloved food and retail brands including In-N-Out, Taco Bell, Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods Market, Target and Costco. Luna is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton. When she's not digging for news on her beat, you can find Nancy regaling her fans about her latest dining adventures on her Fast Food Maven social media channels. Contact [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fastfoodmaven

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