New York Fries Chooses Virtual Next to Power “NYF FRY SOCIETY”; The Brand’s Custom Digital Rewards Program

September 23rd, 2014

Customers will be able to use mobile phones to earn FREE food from NYF and pay faster without downloading an app

TORONTO, ON, September 23, 2014 – New York Fries, a privately owned fast food company specializing in premium french fries and poutine, has recently partnered with Virtual Next, a digital payment and loyalty provider, to launch their mobile loyalty and payment program: “NYF Fry Society”.

The digital payment and loyalty program enables customers to complete transactions more quickly by using their smartphones without having to download an app. The technology, provided by Virtual Next, allows customers to pay, earn, and redeem rewards and coupons with one simple scan of their phones. The company uses digital wallets like iPhone PassBook and Google Wallet to create branded mobile loyalty and payment solutions for restaurants and retailers.

“We understand the challenges with launching an app and getting adoption in the crowded app market. We decided to go with something that is simpler and more effective to launch our Fry Society program, and Virtual Next offers a great solution,” says Warren Price, Executive VP at New York Fries. “We will be offering our customers a mobile loyalty card with optional mobile payment; allowing us to start building a relationship with customers without forcing them to share their credit card information. Users can opt in to mobile payment at a later time and receive extra benefits, such as free fries on their birthday.” adds Warren.

“We are excited to partner with New York Fries and provide their customers with an experience that is simple to understand and offers them great value as well,” says Bijan Shahrokhi, CEO of Virtual Next. “Digital wallets enable merchants to offer simple mobile loyalty and payment programs without an app, which means lower program costs and higher rates of participation.”

The NYF Fry Society is currently being tested in select New York Fries corporately owned stores, with plans to launch nationally in the fall.

About Virtual Next

Virtual Next is the world’s first company to enable restaurant chains to offer a mobile based digital card that ties payment into loyalty without the use of additional smartphone apps. Virtual Next research has shown that smartphone apps are not effective for restaurant chains; which is why Virtual Next uses the smartphone’s existing digital wallets such as iPhone PassBook and Google Wallet to offer a branded loyalty program, thus receiving far more effective results in terms of customer adoption and service. Virtual Next enables restaurants and retailers with any Point of Sale system to offer a mobile loyalty, gift card, payment, and couponing program to their customers.

To learn more about Virtual Next, visit www.virtualnext.com

About New York Fries

New York Fries is a Canadian, privately-owned retail chain specializing in premium quality, fresh-cut fries and poutine. Located in all major Canadian malls, the 155 unit chain has successfully expanded into Turkey, China, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Macau, Kurdistan, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain with 30 international units. The brand, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, is a leader in the Canadian fast food market. In 2004, New York Fries became the first Canadian quick-service company to switch its oil to non-hydrogenated, trans-fat-free sunflower oil. In 2008, New York Fries won the Pinnacle Award for Franchisee Excellence, acknowledging its outstanding franchisee relations. New York Fries was named one of Canada’s 50 best managed companies in 2011, 2012 and 2013. www.newyorkfries.com

Media Contact

Bijan Shahrokhi, CEO

Phone number: 1 (647) 860-4920

email: bijan@virtualnext.com