Other News Feeds Nations Restaurant News - Technology News Feeds   Technology Technology Papa John’s boosts sales with text message ordering system Officials of Papa John’s Pizza, based here, say a text message ordering application launched late last year is delivering “sales lift” to the chain’s approximately 2,700 U.S. stores. Doing ‘The Wave’ and other news, test talk from FS/TEC Recall Tom Cruise and his projected, motion-controlled display in the future-world flick, “Minority Report,” and you get a sense of the visual impact of one of the visual aids exhibited at FS/TEC 2008 in Grapevine, Texas. The large, high-definition, flat-screen display, on which content could be manipulated with hand gestures and without contact, was from Solaris Labs of Westmount, Quebec. It is slated for unspecified use by interactive-restaurant developer uWink Inc. in a Cupertino, Calif., branch expected to open within months. Tech guru Burrus: ‘Transform’ your restaurant business or get left behind When your customers are learning faster than you are learning, we’ve got trouble,” technology trends forecaster Daniel Burrus told FS/TEC 2008 attendees recently gathered here. “And let me tell you, your customers are starting to learn fast. Are we?” IT exec changes at EPL, Back Bay, IHOP, Red Robin Adding to a recent string of changes in foodservice information technology executive circles, El Pollo Loco Inc., based here, has named Allison A. Watanabe vice president of IT for the operator and franchisor of 391 grilled chicken restaurants in multiple states. FS/TEC draws deeper from experts’ well in ’08 Given the challenging economy, organizers of FS/TEC 2008 worked to maximize the conference experience for attendees by offering an expanded slate of experts and new program formats all aimed at “Putting the I.T. in Prof. I.T.$.” FS/TEC 2008 Special Report: A friendly reminder regarding tech convergence: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should Here is an easy pick for silliest recent example of convergence, or the coming together of technologies or business practices: a leopard-print stun gun from Taser International that can be accessorized with a combination holster-MP3 player. FS/TEC ’08 boasts slate of educational programs The educational program of the foodservice industry’s leading technology conference, FS/TEC, will run here April 16-19 and cover issues as diverse as “Putting the ‘Green’ in IT” and “Digital Menu Boards & Mobile Ordering: Lots of Talk, but Where’s the Action?” Top tech forecaster Burrus to assess strategies at FS/TEC Daniel Burrus, one of the world’s leading technology forecasters and business strategists, will deliver the keynote address during the 2008 International Foodservice Technology Exposition April 16-19 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center here. Operators navigate challenges, rewards of self-order kiosk initiatives Trials or deployments of computerized kiosks, primarily for guest self-service, are on the rise. But what types of business challenges are foodservice companies throwing at them? POS selection, customization a hot topic among restaurants “POS in transition” was the subject of a recent Nation’s Restaurant News story, but beyond that report there’s been no shortage of point-of-sale technology activity.