Crunchtime and QSR Automations Agree to Merge, Delivering Powerful Restaurant Technology to Manage Entire Food Lifecycle

The combination of comprehensive operations management platform with kitchen automation will help customers execute more efficiently and profitably.

BOSTON, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Crunchtime Information Systems, Inc., a leading back-of-house operations platform provider for the restaurant industry, and QSR Automations, LLC, a global kitchen operations technology company, today announced their intention to merge. Together, the combined organization will serve more than 800 restaurant brands in 150,000+ locations and 100+ countries, representing 90% of the top 50 restaurant chains in the U.S.

The merger of the two companies will create a restaurant technology company that delivers solutions for the entire food lifecycle at scale. From ingredient ordering to food prep to timely order flow, restaurants will be able to accurately predict, plan, and execute operations more efficiently. The combination will bring together world-class solutions that help restaurants drive growth by improving profitability and delivering great guest experiences.

As restaurant organizations navigate fluctuating economic conditions, they are increasingly focused on driving efficiencies and managing costs. Crunchtime's solutions are specifically designed to help operators reduce food and labor costs–the two largest controllable expenses in a restaurant. QSR Automations' kitchen automation technology helps operators reduce food waste and labor costs through better order accuracy and delayed routing, providing even more mechanisms to improve profitability.

Current Crunchtime Chief Executive Officer, John Raguin, will lead the combined organization. "QSR's kitchen display technology is a natural fit with Crunchtime's operations management solutions," said Raguin. "We believe that QSR's ability to drive efficient order flow with proper routing and timing, combined with Crunchtime's inventory forecasting and prep management–leveraging data insights across the entire restaurant workflow–will directly impact speed and quality of service for our customers."

Speed of service is core to guest satisfaction and is driven by factors such as having the right items in inventory for each shift, the right quantity of food prepped at the right time, correct staffing levels for all stations, proper training on all tasks and processes, and the optimal order of operation to deliver food quickly and at the correct temperature. The combined company will deliver all of these capabilities, completing the full kitchen operations lifecycle.

"We're thrilled to merge with a company whose core focus is helping restaurant brands improve operations," said Robbie Payne, Chief Executive Officer of QSR Automations. "The coupling of Crunchtime's operations management solutions with QSR's kitchen workflow automation will help customers reduce wait times and increase guest satisfaction, ultimately delivering a better guest experience."

Both Crunchtime and QSR are backed by tech-focused investment firm Battery Ventures, which will continue to support the combined entity going forward. "These companies have highly complementary businesses and share many customers. Bringing them together will create one, unified industry player providing best-of-breed software solutions to the restaurant industry," said Morad Elhafed, a Battery general partner. "We're extremely excited to see the combined company scale and continue to provide top-notch products to its customers."

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

About Crunchtime: Crunchtime is how the world's top restaurant brands achieve ops excellence in every location. Crunchtime software is used in over 150,000 locations in 100+ countries to manage inventory, staff scheduling, learning and development, food safety, operational tasks, and audits. Crunchtime enables customers, including Chipotle, Culver's, Domino's, Dunkin', Five Guys, and P.F. Chang's to control food and labor costs, and deliver great guest experiences.

About QSR Automations: Headquartered in Louisville, KY, with offices in the United Kingdom, QSR Automations is a global industry leader in kitchen automation and guest management services. Since 1996, restaurant operators have turned to QSR Automations for customized solutions to improve the guest experience and drive operational excellence. Used in 21 of the nation's top 25 casual dining chains, QSR Automations leverages data to create customized solutions that make calmer kitchens, simpler workflows, and happier guests.

SOURCE QSR Automations