Olive Garden to Utilize Ziosk Tabletop Tablets in Its Restaurants
By Zach Seymour, Close-Up Media Staff Writer
Olive Garden has entered into an agreement with Ziosk to introduce tabletop tablets in all of its restaurants nationwide.
Olive Garden said it has been testing Ziosk in select restaurants since last year, and the feedback from guests and servers has been positive. These restaurants are receiving higher guest satisfaction scores, faster dining times and increased tip percentages for servers.
Starting in May, Olive Garden will begin a phased rollout of Ziosk tablets into additional restaurants. The program will be supported by in-restaurant training to ensure this integration reaches its full potential of enhancing the overall experience for guests and team members. Olive Garden expects Ziosk tablets to be in all of its 800-plus U.S. locations before the end of the calendar year.
"We've been focused on improving the dining experience at every touch point, and we're excited to give our guests the ability to customize their visit by leveraging the technology of Ziosk's tabletop tablets," said Dave George, Olive Garden president. "This additional resource benefits both our guests and our servers, enabling our team members to make more meaningful connections and provide more personalized service."
According to a release, using Ziosk's 7-inch touchscreen tablets that run on the Android OS, Olive Garden guests will be able to browse the menu, order drinks, appetizers and desserts, and quickly pay their checks. Ziosk tablets also feature news from USA Today and interactive activities such as zTrivia, a Ziosk-developed game updated bi-weekly with questions from current news and events.
"Olive Garden provides guests a warm, family atmosphere that promotes the same kind of togetherness the communal entertainment on Ziosk tablets is designed to foster," said Austen Mulinder, Ziosk CEO. "We are thrilled to partner with a restaurant that shares our vision for using technology to encourage fun and interaction over a great shared meal."
Guests can also set the pace of their meals and share feedback right from their table. Guests who use a Ziosk tablet are 10 times more likely to enroll in a restaurant's loyalty club and 30 times more likely to participate in a guest satisfaction survey, giving restaurants like Olive Garden even more insights into their guests' experiences, the Company said.
Ziosk is an entertainment, ordering and pay-at-the-table tablet for the restaurant market.
More information:
www.ziosk.com
www.olivegarden.com
((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))
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Alexandra Scarborough
Gilt and Sarah Jessica Parker Unveil SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Bridal Collection for SpringSarah Jessica Parker, in partnership with Gilt, kicked off the exclusive launch of SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Bridal, Gilt’s first foray into bridal ready-to-wear that would have Carrie Bradshaw swooning.
The collection includes dresses, skirts, bodysuits and other pieces, ranging in price from $295 to $2,395 and from sizes 0 to 14.
"Collaborating with Gilt on my first bridal ready-to-wear collection was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," said Sarah Jessica Parker. "The team there is brilliant and allowed me to be imaginative and take risks as I was designing for the non-traditional bride. It has been quite fun to play around with colors, fabrics and details to create unique pieces for all kinds of brides." The collection, comprised of ten styles, is inspired by Parker's vision of a modern, non-traditional bride, and is designed to dress a woman for a variety of wedding milestone moments; from her bridal shower through her wedding reception. Styles offered are a unique mix of classic dresses and gowns, modern bodysuits, full skirts, and a jumpsuit. The color palette includes traditional bridal white, sleek black, plus pops of blush, poppy, light gray and blue.
Designed in collaboration with Gilt, the collection was produced in New York City utilizing fabrics like cashmere and stretch crepe sourced from Spain, Italy and France.
The pieces all feature carefully curated details like elegant bows, sophisticated cutouts, feathers, intricate embroidery and beautiful hand-stitched beading.
The actress and style icon is no stranger to chic bridal wear. Carrie Badshaw, famously played by Parker, took part in an elaborate bridal photo shoot in Sex and the City: The Movie. The shoot featured gowns from designers like Christian Lacroix and Lanvin. Parker famously wore a black wedding gown for her own wedding to Matthew Broderick in 1997.
"Not only is Sarah Jessica Parker's style known around the world, her point of view is one-of-a-kind," says Tom Ott, Chief Merchant of Gilt. "Sarah Jessica brings her impeccable taste and fashion sensibility to life in this collection. We think our customers will be delighted with the offering which is stylish and well-priced in the bridal category."
As part of the bridal launch, Gilt will also offer 15 exclusive styles from the SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker footwear line, each of which are complementary to the bridal collection.
To correspond with the bridal collection launch, Gilt City will present offers from some of Sarah Jessica Parker's favorite places in New York City.
The offers were each chosen as a way to help brides plan for and celebrate the big day with highlights including, Leather Spa, Lars Nord Studio Tailoring, Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery, among others.
More Information:
http://www.Gilt.com/SJP -
Alexandra Scarborough
Tea Forté Introduces ‘Matcha’ CollectionConvenience meets tradition in Tea Forté’s new Ceremonial Matcha Bowl Set and the Matcha Single Steeps.
The company said its spring harvested, shade grown, stone ground, organic matcha tea is best served in a centuries-old Japanese tea ceremony called chanoyu: a preparation technique known for its centering meditative qualities.
"The launch of Tea Forté's Matcha collection represents our continued commitment to wellness and cultivating all the potential mental and physical health benefits of tea," says Tea Forté CEO Michael Gebrael. "In addition to our high quality Pure Matcha, we've also blended four distinct flavored Matcha varieties. Prepackaged in pouches measured out for a single serving, our Single Steeps Matcha is ideal for the office, travel, or to keep with you for a boost anytime."
Tea Forté noted its handcrafted ceremonial tea bowl, handmade bamboo whisk and measuring ladle “encourages serene enjoyment of our premium Kosher, gluten-free and vegan matcha blends.” These include: Pure Matcha, Chocolate Matcha, Coconut Matcha, Ginger Matcha, and Chai Matcha.
According to a release, in addition to its distinctive taste, matcha is prized for its health benefits. Steeped green tea contains only the antioxidants that can be extracted in water, while with matcha, the whole leaf is consumed.
Available now in select stores and online at teaforte.com.
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