Australia

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Combo items, special discounts, and the daily special – whether people dine out or stay in, a customer wanting a good deal has always been a sure thing.

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Find out what QSRs have been up to on social media this week.

An emerging burger concept with a plan to launch a fourth site this April - Burger Love has recently become the first Australian fast food restaurant to adopt cryptocurrency in its stores. The burger brand is now accepting the top ten digital currency, XEM. Head of marketing and branding at #burgerlove, Steve Agi, said, “Cryptocurrencies are the future of trade. It is a fascinating concept that our clientele is already on board with and we’re ready to stop watching from sidelines. We’re giving our customers the freedom to pay with a currency of their choice, which is telling of how we like to approach the customer experience at #burgerlove; we’re globally known as trendsetters and market leaders, once again we are on the forefront of the new, the exciting and the cutting edge.” XEM is the digital currency of blockchain technology platform NEM. Unlike some cryptocurrencies, XEMs are environmentally friendly as there is no “mining” involved like Bitcoin. It is also secure with built-in spam protection that manages to shut down spammers without taking down the entire network and has a standalone wallet guests can download on their phones or computers. “Australians are familiar with Bitcoin, but less so when it comes to other digital currencies like XEM. Associating with something people love, like burgers, will help integrate it into the economy more broadly and drive consumer engagement.”

Lord of the Fries is set to become the first Australian restaurant to bring Beyond Meat burger into its stores.

It demanded the Sydney startup to stop using the name Down N' Out.

It also released a turnover figure of $3.2 million and has big scale plans to expand nationwide by the end of 2019.

Tomatoes grown in Echuca, Victoria will be used to make the chain’s marinara sauce from April 2018.

Belles Hot Chicken is opening its sixth national outpost on the 12th of April.

It is in celebration of the launch of the movie Ferdinand on Blu-Ray and DVD.

“No restaurant segment or brand is immune to focus on enhancing the customer experience,” McDonald’s CFO Kevin Ozan said late last year. He went on saying the brand would invest two-thirds of its capital in accelerating guest experience.

Domino’s ANZ CEO Nick Knight confirmed that Vegan Cheese is officially back in all stores.

Burger Project Black Label brings new venue, bigger menu, deluxe burgers and breakfast to Sydney.

Both brands have opened in the centre’s food court, side by side, taking the total number of Aktiv Brands outlets to 40.

Only a few more weeks to go before the closing of nominations for QSR Media Awards!