From drive-thru to back-of-house operations to predictive ordering for consumers, restaurant brands are starting to pilot artificial intelligence to streamline food service.
The technology has yet to reach critical mass at major chains but has the potential to automate more tasks and give restaurant workers the opportunity to have a more meaningful experience with guests.
Analysts say a key benefit is the potential to ease workforce challenges in an ongoing tight hiring market. The National Restaurant Association predicts the industry will add 500,000 jobs by the end of 2023, but notes there’s currently just one job seeker for every two open positions.
What’s more, TD Cowen estimates voice-enabled AI can drive sales as much as 15% through suggestive selling as well as speed up service times by 10 seconds.
The industry shift is reminiscent of the emergence of third-party delivery services five years ago, before it was ubiquitous at nearly every major restaurant operator, according to…
2023-06-17 07:00:01
Article from www.cnbc.com
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