Restaurant data provider Black Box Intelligence is acquiring customer sentiment startup AreTheyHappy, expanding its guest feedback tools for operators.
Belgium-based AreTheyHappy helps restaurants keep tabs on how customers feel about them. Specifically, it connects to social media and other review platforms and consolidates guest feedback into a single inbox called the Reputation Hub. Restaurants can then take action on those insights.
“The same tool enables you to rapidly respond to changes in sentiment and reputation, to make small corrections before they become large problems,” said Black Box CEO David Cantu in a statement. “Together we can give restaurant brands the power of knowing the right factor, at the right time, to drive impact in the business.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquisition builds on Black Box’s existing services, which include regular financial and workforce reports that allow restaurants to benchmark their performance against the broader industry. It also offers consumer, guest and supplier insights.
AreTheyHappy was founded in 2016, and its current clients include European brands like Bastard Burgers, O’Leary’s and Honest Burgers. Black Box will make it available in the U.S. for the first time.
It’s the second acquisition for Black Box since it was bought by Diversis Capital in January 2021. A few months later, Black Box acquired MillerPulse, combining two of the biggest restaurant-sales indexes in the U.S.
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