The Right to Unlawful Assembly and Snagajob Helps Hurricane Recovery Process

Snagajob reaches out to help and an online payment company enters U.S. market.  Send news items to Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com.

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Unlawful Assembly Releases Initial Lineup

 Unlawful Assembly Brewing Co.  a set-to-open brewery  on the third floor of Plano’s Legacy Hall, released its initial line of craft beer and artwork, top photo.  The first selection of craft-style beers includes:

  • Idol Time: Passion Fruit Pineapple Wheat – In this unfiltered wheat ale, fermented with tart tropical fruits, we celebrate the times we can’t remember and the friends we won’t forget.
  • Peacemonger – You can defuse any tense situation with a little diplomacy and the right beer, especially one as agreeable as the European-style Pilsner. It’s a crisp and slightly malty beer with a spicy, noble hop finish.
  • Rebel Faction– Rise up! This Saison’s floral aroma, fruity and earthy flavors and subtle tartness will be the antidote for conformity.
  • Public Dissent – This refreshingly crisp grapefruit and piney hop-flavored pale ale with caramel undertones stands up against the mainstream.
  • The Antagonist – With a medium body, balanced caramel-like flavor and a dry finish, this beer is one that everyone will enjoy.
  • Blind Justice IPA – West Coast meets Texas. A blend of six different hops makes this beer an amber slice of heaven. The mouthwatering IPA gets its flavor from a heavy helping of Mosaic, Citra, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo and Magnum hops, balanced by a perfect level of malt body. 

These six premium beer styles will be available year-round, along with a constantly rotating selection of collaborative and seasonal beers on tap.

“Whether you’re a craft connoisseur or you’re just fine with a light brew, UABC has got you covered,” said Tim Timbs, Senior Vice President of B.S. (Brewery Stuff). “A lot of blood, sweat and … well, not really tears – but you get the point – have gone into creating these first six beers and we couldn’t be more proud of the result. Unlawful Assembly is about to turn heads in North Texas, and we can’t wait to start sharing these creative, collaborative and bold flavors with everyone – in just a matter of weeks.”

“We’re bringing a rebellious spirit to this venture, so we won’t hesitate to use non-traditional ingredients in our beers, and we’ll be constantly pushing the envelope to explore unique flavor combinations,” said Brewmaster Tom Janik. “And because we’ll be rotating our taps on a regular basis, there will always be something new for our guests to discover.”

House Advantage Acquires eTouchMenu

House Advantage (HA), acquired eTouchMenu.The Minnesota-based company will be merged into the operations of HA and will be best positioned to continue its business model based on unparalleled customer service and competitive advantage for all its clients.

“We are very pleased with this strategic purchase and to bring eTouchMenu products and teams into the House Advantage family,” said Jon C. Wolfe, President and CEO of House Advantage. “eTouchMenu fits in with the HA brand and culture, and melds perfectly with our product philosophy of extending the value of our clients’ current system investments through new and innovative fully integrated solutions. From technology platforms, software, strategy and brand engagement, we have been able to immediately add a significant new layer of products and services to our existing and future hospitality clients while also delivering a new level of guest experience and measurable ROI,” Wolfe added.

Since its launch in 2012, eTouchMenu has delivered a variety of digital menu products, services and devices including: pay-at-table, server hand-held ordering, guest table-top ordering and payment, and kiosk self-ordering and payment.  Current and target markets include full-service and fast casual restaurants, airports, casinos, hotels, stadiums, theaters, arcades, amusement parks and more. 

Scott Morrow, CEO of eTouchMenu has joined House Advantage as Division President, reporting directly to the CEO.

“Scott has been an integral part of eTouchMenu’s growth and success,” said Wolfe. “I am very pleased to have him join HA and continue to take these products to the next level with us.”

Snagajob Helps Rebuild

Snagajob, the marketplace for hourly work, announced a major relief effort to help workers and employers impacted by the most recent hurricanes, most notably Harvey and Irma, rebuild their lives. The company is offering free staffing services to business owners and job search tools to workers to quickly learn about open positions and find help with relocation needs.

“On behalf of everyone at Snagajob, our hearts go out to all those affected by these mighty storms,” said Peter Harrison, CEO of Snagajob. Our hope is that through these services, we can help alleviate some of the stress our nation’s workers and employers and families are facing as they look to rebuild their lives.”

Peter Harrison

Hourly employers can take advantage of free job recruiting services through Snagajob until the end of October 2017. This is especially useful for hard-hit industries including retail, hospitality, and food service. To date, the company has donated an estimated $21,000 of value to hurricane victims and is excited to deliver much more. Interested employers can visit this page to learn more.

Additionally, Snagajob created a worker-specific online portal that lists available job positions in real-time. Job seekers can sign up for email alerts that allows Snagajob to connect them with employers who need to quickly hire.

In other news,  Snagajob is hosting a free webinar on October 4 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT—‘6 Surprising Hourly Hourly Job Seeker Insights to Fuel Your Hiring Strategy.’

Attendees get a first look at Snagajob’s Q3 State of the Hourly Worker survey results, including:

  • 6 most compelling findings from this year’s survey and how to use them in your 2017 holiday hiring and recruiting plans
  • What motivates hourly workers to apply to a job—and what’s making them leave
  • Why most application experiences are terrible—and how you can make yours stand out
  • What the gig economy means for the future of hourly work

Register here 

 Checkout.com Enters U.S. Market

Online payments company, Checkout.com launched into the U.S. market, with the opening of a Boston office.

With 180 employees worldwide, Checkout.com runs on 100 percent proprietary payment rails. Checkout.com was designed to connect merchants seamlessly with all credit and debit cards, as well as major alternative payment methods. By removing all third-party intermediaries, Checkout.com eliminates the need for customers to use multiple service providers and consolidates the entire payments process from start to finish. Customers include Samsung, Transferwise, Hopper, Virgin and Adidas, among many others.

Peter Caparso joins Checkout.com as President of North America. Caparso previously launched Adyen in the U.S., where he served as North America President for over 6 years. Prior to Adyen, Caparso also served as Executive Vice-President at Worldpay and U.S. Country Manager at Bibit. Most recently, he was the Payments Advisor at Apax Partners, a leading global private equity firm. At Checkout.com, Caparso will lead the company’s U.S. expansion, personnel development and customer portfolio.

“There is an unmet need in the market for customer-service oriented payment services,” says Caparso. “As a privately owned, entrepreneurial company, agility is our strength. Checkout.com is able to anticipate and react to merchants’ needs quickly and efficiently. Whether in retail, travel, or digital goods and services, we are positioned to be the payment solution of choice for fast-growing companies seeking a flexible partner.”

“The U.S. is the next great milestone in our global expansion,” states Guillaume Pousaz, CEO and Founder of Checkout.com. “We operate in a competitive market, and want to ensure that our products deliver the most value possible for our customers. We have a strong track-record of working with some of the most innovative brands in the world. Our international DNA, entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to providing tailored solutions make us a unique partner in a sector where commoditization tends to be the industry norm. We’re ready to take the next step into the U.S. and are excited about the initial market response.”

As a principal member of VISA/MasterCard® and all other major credit card schemes and main alternative payment methods, Checkout.com offers a highly tailored payment solution in over 180 currencies, removing hidden costs and complex reconciliations, while focusing on delivering excellent customer service and increased authorization rates.

Southern Glazer’s Adds to Team

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the largest North American wine and spirits distribution company, named Martin Crane, Executive Vice President, General Manager, New York. In this role, he’ll report to Larry Goodrich, who was recently promoted to Senior Vice President, Managing Director, New York.

“Marty is a proven leader with a passionate focus on customer service and long track record of delivering results,” commented Brad Vassar, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “We have made significant investments in our infrastructure and operations in New York and are confident that he’ll continue to build on those improvements to further enhance service to our growing base of customers in the state. We also remain committed to having the best talent in the industry and driving continuous improvement in our route-to-market performance.”

In Crane’s new role, he will be responsible for managing the Company’s day-to-day sales and operations functions throughout the state.

“It’s been a privilege to watch and have contributed to the unparalleled growth of Southern Glazer’s business in New York since our expansion into the state in 2004,” commented Goodrich. “I look forward to working closely with Marty to build upon our success in the market and continue to take advantage of the ongoing growth opportunities in New York.” 

Crane most recently served as the Vice President, Commercial Operations for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of New York. He is a seasoned sales executive with 32 years of experience in the wine and spirits and consumer packaged goods industries. Prior to joining Southern Glazer’s, Mr. Crane was the Senior Vice President of Spirit Sales for Pernod Ricard USA. In that role, he managed a team of 270 field sales, marketing and finance professionals covering all trade channels. During his 15-year tenure at Pernod Ricard USA, he held multiple roles of increasing responsibility, including positions in national accounts and regional management. Prior to joining Pernod Ricard USA, Mr. Crane held sales and management roles with Seagram Americas, Carter Products, Beiersdorf, Inc., and Beecham Products.

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is North America’s largest wine and spirits distributor, and the preeminent data insights company for alcoholic beverages. The Company has operations in 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Canada, and the Caribbean, and employs more than 20,000 team members.