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

Business Wire

05-05-2025

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- 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.
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.