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Flynn Group Partners with Ziosk to Enhance Guest Experience and Optimize Operations at its Applebee’s Restaurants

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Flynn Group Partners with Ziosk to Enhance Guest Experience and Optimize Operations at its Applebee’s Restaurants
News

News

Flynn Group Partners with Ziosk to Enhance Guest Experience and Optimize Operations at its Applebee’s Restaurants

2025-05-06 04:21 Last Updated At:04:31

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 2025--

Ziosk, the pioneer of pay-at-the-table and a premier SaaS hospitality platform for restaurants, today announced its partnership with Flynn Group, the world’s largest franchise operator. Working together, Flynn Group has deployed Ziosk’s comprehensive suite of solutions at more than 460 Applebee’s locations nationwide to optimize its tech stack, enhance the guest experience, and strengthen operational performance.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250505204017/en/

Through this partnership, Flynn Group has selected Ziosk’s zMini tablets with DigiSite Smart Table technology. When paired together, they power on-demand capabilities like self-order and pay-at-the-table for guests, as well as drive efficiency for team members. Purpose-built and tailored to Applebee’s needs, Ziosk’s hospitality platform works alongside team members and existing integrations to meet evolving customer needs and streamline procedures, maximizing productivity and guest satisfaction at a national scale.

“Ziosk’s technology seamlessly complements the handheld tablets we currently have in place, creating a comprehensive digital hospitality experience in our restaurants,” said Dan Krebsbach, President, Flynn Applebee’s. “Giving guests control over when to order more items or pay their bill, all while our servers remain at the ready and equipped with handhelds for additional service, allows us to simultaneously meet guests’ expectations for elevated convenience while ensuring every team member feels supported. In today’s challenging labor environment, this is a game changer. We couldn’t imagine a better experience than having Ziosk on the table.”

As part of the deployment more than 20,000 Applebee’s tables are now equipped with DigiSite Smart Table technology. Its spatial location software enables tablets to move effortlessly between tables, while automatically syncing to the corresponding guest check. This flexibility allows Applebee’s to optimize tablet distribution based on each location’s unique traffic patterns and volume, maximizing their investment while simplifying operations system-wide.

Integrating seamlessly with the restaurant’s POS, Flynn Group Applebee’s locations are also utilizing Ziosk’s zMini tablets to enhance guest engagement and satisfaction. Pay-at-the-table technology eliminates the wait time associated with paying and provides a frictionless, secure process. It also enables premium games and entertainment offerings that promote more memorable dining experiences, and self-ordering capabilities that empower guests to order appetizers and drinks on demand, customizing the way they dine.

The Ziosk zMini tablets also offer targeted promotional capabilities, arming Applebee’s with the ability to spotlight seasonal specials and featured offerings. They also highlight cause-marketing efforts, notably helping Flynn Group nearly triple guest donations to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for pediatric cancer research from $150,000 to $373,000 in July to September of 2024.

“We’re thrilled to launch the next evolution of Ziosk’s cutting-edge technology with a highly respected industry leader like Flynn Group and their Applebee’s restaurants,” said Raymond Howard, Chief Revenue and Growth Officer for Ziosk. “Eliminating the wait for guests is key to driving revenue and guest satisfaction. We’re empowering guests to order apps, desserts, reorder drinks and pay when they’re ready – letting them dine how they want. Having a tablet cycling through promotions on the table is also maximizing profits by delivering the right message at the right time to convert upsells. Coupling this with our latest innovations – SmartTable and DigiSite – reduces the number of tablets needed in any given restaurant, further lowering costs.”

Bringing together both Ziosk zMini tablets and DigiSite Smart Table technology makes the partnership between Ziosk and Flynn Group truly all-encompassing. Combining a frictionless pay-at-the-table solution, more efficient table distribution, and enhanced charitable programs enables Flynn Group to deliver a level of hospitality that keeps guests coming back for more.

To learn more about Ziosk, please visit www.ziosk.com.

About Ziosk
Ziosk, the pioneer of pay-at-the-table, is a premier SaaS hospitality platform for restaurants. Ziosk’s core product suite includes solutions for pay-at-the-table, ordering, loyalty, guest engagement, guest feedback, and advanced data collection and analysis, in addition to hardware products like the Ziosk Pro Server and Ziosk zMini tablets. Ziosk’s newest offerings include the Drop & Pay™ Digital Check Presenter and DigiSite, an industry-leading location intelligence solution. Based in Dallas, the company processes over $17B in transactions annually and engages over 1bn guests per year. For more information, please visit www.ziosk.com.

About Flynn Group
Founded by Chairman and CEO Greg Flynn in 1999, Flynn Group LP (formerly Flynn Restaurant Group) is the largest franchise operator in the world, and the third largest operator of restaurants in the United States, after only Starbucks and Chipotle. Flynn Group owns and operates more than 2,700 consumer facing businesses across Applebee’s ®, Arby’s ®, Taco Bell ®, Panera ®, Pizza Hut ®, Wendy’s ® and Planet Fitness ® brands, spanning 44 states, Australia and New Zealand, generating more than $4.7 billion in sales and employing more than 75,000 people. More information is available at www.flynn.com.

Ziosk zMini tablet at Applebee's

Ziosk zMini tablet at Applebee's

BALTIMORE (AP) — Blake Horvath threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Eli Heidenreich with 6:32 remaining — on fourth-and-goal — and No. 22 Navy rallied to beat Army 17-16 on Saturday.

Horvath turned the ball over twice, and his fumble near the goal line nearly spoiled Navy's key drive. On second down from the 1, the ball came loose when the Midshipmen (10-2) attempted a tush push, but Heidenreich fell on the ball back at the 8.

After an incompletion, Navy — down 16-10 — decided to go for it on fourth down, and Horvath found his top receiving threat over the middle in the end zone.

Army then had to punt, and on third-and-3 from the Army 43, the ball popped loose on a run by Horvath, but he was able to catch it out of the air and reach for the first down. It came loose again and Army recovered, but after a review, Horvath was ruled down before the second fumble — a yard short of the line to gain.

Alex Tecza then ran for the first down that enabled Navy to kneel out the clock. In what was at times a chippy game with some post-play shoving, there was a bit of a ruckus near midfield after the final kneel-down before things eventually calmed down for the traditional singing of the alma maters.

With President Donald Trump in attendance, Navy got its second straight victory over Army (6-6), and the Midshipmen won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for a second straight season. The Black Knights have not beaten a Navy team that was ranked by the AP since 1955.

The teams traded touchdown drives to start the game, each lasting 13 plays, 75 yards and over seven minutes. Horvath scored on a 5-yard run, and Army quarterback Cale Hellums answered with a 2-yarder. Army's first drive didn't end until 5 seconds into the second quarter.

Then it was a while before anyone reached the end zone again. With Army up 10-7 late in the second quarter, the ball slipped out of Horvath's hand while he was looking to pass. Army recovered the fumble at its own 45 with 20 seconds to play and moved into range for a 45-yard field goal by Dawson Jones.

Horvath was intercepted in the third, giving Army the ball at the Navy 30, but the Black Knights had to settle for three — Dawson connected on a career-long 48-yard kick.

Navy's Wing-T offense has been explosive this season. The Midshipmen entered the day with an FBS-high 10 plays of at least 60 yards. Army mostly kept them contained, but Horvath slipped free for a 37-yard run that set up a third-quarter field goal that made it 16-10.

After Hellums' underthrown pass was intercepted by Phillip Hamilton, giving Navy the ball at the 50 with 11:19 to play, Tecza's 24-yard run made it first-and-goal from the 5.

Trump tossed the coin before the game at midfield, then returned at halftime to walk from the Navy sideline to the Army one.

Army: The Black Knights were trying to turn the tables on Navy after a ranked Army team lost to the Midshipmen last year. Army was the better team in the first half Saturday but didn't do much offensively after that.

Navy: Horvath made some big plays and some bad ones, and the Navy defense was stout in the second half. The Midshipmen finished tied for first in the American Athletic Conference this year but missed out on the league title game because of tiebreakers. This victory matters more to them anyway.

Army: Faces UConn in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 27.

Navy: Faces Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

President Donald Trump stands with Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland, Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, left, and Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, before the start of the 126th Army-Navy NCAA college football game at M&T Bank Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump stands with Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland, Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, left, and Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, before the start of the 126th Army-Navy NCAA college football game at M&T Bank Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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