Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an increasingly common term. And as AI has moved into our daily vocabulary, there are still many who don’t understand its uses and implications. While there are aspects of these technological developments that may leave people feeling wary, there are many benefits for businesses, especially in the food service and hospitality industry.
The quick-service (QSR) sector, in particular, can easily make use of different AI programs to improve customer experience and efficiency, as Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) covers in this article featuring Brooklyn’s Dumpling Shop. The Brooklyn-based company is integrating AI in a Texas location, utilizing UKnoMi, “an IoT-powered customer experience platform that can recognize people in the drive-thru,” NRN reports. “Brooklyn Dumpling Shop hopes to use some of this newer AI technology to speed up and personalize service as the New York City-based brand launches its first drive-thru location in Texas in 2024. Founder Stratis Morfogen said that the company is partnering with BlueDot to open a drive-thru lane with smartphone-enabled geofencing technology and personalized loyalty messages powered by voice AI.”
For the restaurant, Brooklyn’s Dumpling Shop estimates that each customer will save, on average, twenty seconds in the drive-thru lane, which will quickly add up in terms of efficiency; but what’s more, the implementation requires no additional work on the part of the customer, adding to a positive customer experience. “As long as the phone is in geofencing it will pick up order and payment data and be able to process the transaction,” Morfogen explains. “Our whole model is about less labor, a smaller footprint and leveraging tech to make our business more efficient. This way, there is less employee error… we will have multiple car ports and will customize the message to the guest.”
These AI programs sense when a customer arrives and interfaces with customer loyalty apps to create a personalized experience, remember repeat orders, and build loyalty points or perks, all through smartphone geofencing so that the customer need only approach the drive-thru as normal.
“This technology is also available currently in select Dunkin’ and KFC drive-thru lanes. Once Brooklyn Dumpling Shop builds out this first tech-forward drive-thru lane in either Dallas or Austin, Morfogen said the company will build more in the future,” NRN adds. While the new technology may seem extravagant, these AI integrations will become increasingly more commonplace until they morph into a customer expectation. Making plans for including AI technology is a smart business strategy for restaurant owners, especially those in the QSR sector.
Richard Weil, principal and owner of National Restaurant Consultants, believes, “While AI will not replace the need for human interaction, the trends described in this NRN article will most likely become a basis for strategies and applications in the years to come. Operators need to embrace AI as it becomes more accepted and user -friendly.”
Our restaurant consultants have decades’ worth of experience and have navigated other similar and significant developments in the industry. We are prepared to work with your restaurant and your business plan to move into future technological developments.