Beli has rapidly become a leading social restaurant app among Generation Z, logging over 75 million ratings since its 2021 launch, outpacing Yelp's 52 million ratings over 21 years. The app first gained traction in New York and now boasts millions of users globally, about 80% of whom are under 35. For Gen Z, Beli serves as both a discovery tool and a social space to curate food experiences through interactive lists and leaderboards while connecting with peers.

Restaurants are increasingly integrating pizza vending machines into their operations to expand service beyond traditional hours and locations. These machines, equipped with advanced chilling, baking and cloud-based monitoring systems, allow operators to serve hot or take-home pizzas 24/7 without the need for additional staff. Integration strategies include placing units in high-traffic areas such as campuses and arenas, ensuring product quality with frequent restocking, and leveraging technology to maintain brand standards. The shift reflects a broader trend of established restaurants treating vending as a serious extension of their brand rather than a novelty.

Yum Brands franchisee Charter Foods is integrating AI into its restaurant operations with a focus on tools that add clear value. By leveraging AI to accelerate data analysis and inform operational decisions, the company has achieved measurable improvements such as faster decision-making and a 20% boost in late-night sales at select restaurants. The AI is positioned as a behind-the-scenes asset that enhances efficiency across locations, prioritizing the needs of operators and keeping AI as a support tool rather than a visible gimmick.

Restaurant Beatrice in Dallas has completed a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions audit, a rare step for an independent restaurant. The audit, conducted with North Star Carbon and Impact, revealed that 70% of the restaurant's emissions are Scope 3, primarily from purchased goods. The restaurant sources local ingredients, utilizes whole animals and has implemented composting with a commercial machine.

Olo has been acquired by investment firm Thoma Bravo in a $2 billion all-cash transaction, taking the restaurant tech provider private four years after its IPO. Olo has established itself as a dominant force in the restaurant technology sector, serving over 750 restaurant brands such as Waffle House and Dutch Bros. CEO Noah Glass founded Olo in 2005 as a text-to-order app and grew it into an online ordering app that thrived during the pandemic. 

Chowbus' strategic shift from a food delivery model to a comprehensive, full-stack technology platform for restaurants has redefined its business and customer impact. The transition addressed the limitations of delivery economics for independent operators and allowed Chowbus to serve restaurants across every stage of guest interaction. By designing technology specifically for immigrant-owned and culturally rooted restaurants with features such as multilingual functionality, Chowbus has set itself apart from generalist competitors like Toast and Square.

Loman AI was created to help small businesses manage phone calls efficiently, initially targeting moving companies. After receiving interest from restaurant owners, the company quickly adapted its service to meet the hospitality sector's needs. The system can handle up to 50 calls simultaneously, book reservations, field customer inquiries and integrate with POS and reservation platforms.

Wildtype's lab-grown salmon, recently approved by the FDA, has made its debut at The Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle, where chef Renee Erickson -- the fourth chef in the nation to add the fillets to menu -- serves it as crudo. The cell-cultivated salmon, made from Pacific salmon cells and plant components, is designed to alleviate pressure on wild salmon stocks and compete with farmed salmon. While the taste is subtle, the texture is uniformly squishy, a point noted by diners. 

Protein Industries Canada has invested $4.8 million in a $24 million project led by Phytokana Ingredients and Maia Farms to develop protein ingredients from fava beans and mycelium. Phytokana will process fava beans into protein concentrate and flour, while Maia Farms will upcycle these into mycelium proteins. The approach preserves the beans' native functionality, making the resulting ingredients suitable for use in plant-based proteins and alternative dairy products.