COVER STORY
MURTEC
2021 Top Women in Restaurant Technology Awards
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MASTERMINDS BEHIND THE BIGGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGY ADDITIONS AT FAZOLI’S, JERSEY MIKE’S AND QDOBA ARE AMONG THE FIFTH ANNUAL CLASS OF AWARD HONOREES. BY A N N A WO L F E Hospitality Technology’s Top Women in Restaurant Technology Awards, now in its fifth year, recognize women who are making their mark in a male-dominated industry. In the coming weeks we will be profiling each of the 10 honorees in-depth on hospitalitytech.com/topwomen21. Here is a preview of this year’s class of honorees, which include women from both restaurant brands and technology solution providers. L I F ET I ME AC H I EV EMEN T
Johanna Miner IT Manager for Fazoli’s System Management In 2020, Johanna Miner was instrumental in Fazoli’s strategic shift to drive-thru. In less than seven days, she implemented drivethru tablets and launched curbside. After utilizing drive-thru timers and adjusting oven temps and airflow, all without compromising on quality, the brand saw record low drive-thru service times. Miner also managed and led the launch of Fazoli’s virtual brands. All these initiatives allowed the brand to continue providing outstanding customer service and added to the brand’s overall success. L I F ET I ME AC H I EV EMEN T
Jerilyn Quintanilla Director Restaurant Systems at Qdoba Restaurants 2020 was a huge year for Qdoba. Quintanilla and her team implemented an entirely new website and mobile app. This was critical to complete integration with third-party delivery partners and to launch curbside chainwide. Qdoba also rolled out EMV, which was planned in 2020 but accelerated due to COVID-19. This rollout provided not only a touchless experience, but also increased security and reduced PCI scope. Quintanilla and her team also completed the successful rollout of a POS upgrade and kitchen display systems. I N N OVATOR
Kathy Alcaras Director of IT, Eureka Restaurant Group “2020 was definitely the year of
transformation, innovation, and creativity for the restaurant industry,” says Kathy Alacaras, who joined Eureka as Director of IT in early 2020. She spearheaded the launch of the restaurant’s first online ordering platform and a new contactless ordering service model. Safety and necessity drove consumers to embrace online ordering, but consumer demand for convenience will make online ordering part of everyday life. I N N OVATO R
Tana Davila Chief Marketing Officer for P.F. Chang’s Chief Marketing Officer Tana Davila continues to lead and refine the strategic roadmap for off-premises dining that she started seven years ago. Off-premises has grown during her tenure by +$220M. Davila says she’s most proud of the digital technology investment choices she has made at P.F. Chang’s. “Thanks to our consumer insights, we recognized where the marketplace was headed earlier than many of our peers. We’ve built a datadriven digital ecosystem and online ordering engine that has propelled growth for our business and created a positive experience for our guests,” she explains. I N N OVATO R
Robyn Kesler Sr. Director of IT at Tupelo Honey Café At Tupelo Honey Café, Robyn Kessler has orchestrated several impactful objectives in 2020 including a 2-week pivot to launch takeout and curbside.
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