Advanced drive-thru technology helps operators boost sales

hey may not be much to look at — a menu board and speaker box set among a few shrubs and some landscaping stone, plus a window or two on the back end — but drive-thrus are the backbone of the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry. They seamlessly connect busy consumers with the food they need to fuel their day.

Cyber criminals want to compromise your business. It’s up to you to stop them

For most, it takes more than a few years to amass savings; but for professional fraudsters, it may only take a few minutes to snatch your personal information and compromise your financial security.

In October, Winnipeg police investigated allegations of debit card fraud at local McDonald’s restaurant outlets — with some of the criminal activity stretching as far as Quebec. Similarly, between March and May 2009, 1,250 debit cards were skimmed at a Subway sandwich store in Brantford, Ont.

Skimming involves copying electronic data from debit or credit cards, via devices such as readers and secret cameras and using the information to make fake cards. According to Interac, in 2008 alone, $104.5 million was reimbursed to victims of debit fraud in Canada. Many times, consumers don’t even realize they’ve been robbed.

TORONTO — Kraft Canada has announced a new smartphone application to help users cook and entertain with ease.

The iFood Assistant gives access to recipes and offers the option to create shopping lists and source entertaining tips through PDAs. "People's lives are becoming increasingly complex and one of their biggest challenges is mealtime," said Ed Kaczmarek, director of Innovation, Consumer Experiences at Kraft Foods. "Now, they can use their iPhone, iPod touch or BlackBerry to make cooking convenient, delicious and more enjoyable."

TORONTO – A new travel and tourism industry online marketing site, The Online Revealed Community or ORCtv, has been launched at orctv.com by the Toronto-based A Couple of Chicks e-Marketing. Created as an extension of the 4th annual Online Revealed conference, held earlier this year, ORCtv.com already features three keynote addresses, six real-life case studies, 16 workshops and industry expert interviews offered at the conference, which was attended by more than 300 tourism and travel industry professionals. The new site is hosted by Couple of Chicks co-founders, Patricia Brusha and Alicia Whalen. The plan is to add new segments every few weeks