Chipotle plans on AI recruiting for competitive edge

Zomato Bans Use Of AI Generated Images By Restaurant Partners

Speaking of Waze, the Google-owned app is also adding the ability to report incidents on the road with your voice. “Our automated solution ensures that high-quality food can be delivered in large quantities without compromising on profitability,” the website states. For business leaders, sometimes the hardest word to say is “no.” Here are ways to get better at turning others down, and why it’s important.

Pizza chains, notably Domino’s, pushed the concept of 30-minute delivery. And now the consumer views that as a good delivery time, even though pizza chains abandoned that idea decades ago. “It is disrespectful to women to give chatbots exclusively female names,” said Catherine Roberts, director of intelligent automation capabilities for Chick-fil-A. The chain developed a procedure for naming AI chatbots with that issue in mind. Chipotle plans to deploy the system across more than 3,500 restaurant locations in North America and Europe.

The CMO of a 100-unit burger chain said his brand needs a new POS system before it can think about investing in AI. The brand’s current tech stack is a patchwork of old solutions, which is not the best environment for AI to thrive. Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, created an ethics framework around generative AI and even has a program for naming chatbots, said Catherine Roberts, director of intelligent automation capabilities. “If we are intentional, we hope we can achieve a 15% productivity gain” among support center staff, Roberts said. And while it would be easy to label AI the week’s biggest buzzword, it was clear by Wednesday that the technology is poised to have staying power in the restaurant industry. On the business side, Yelp is integrating with Apple Maps to show a button to users to request a quote from a service.

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Yelp has added other generative AI features already, like the AI-powered review summaries of restaurants and nightlife businesses that it launched last year. It’s also used AI to surface more content and photos on the app’s home feed. Trade publication Restaurant Business quoted a statement from McDonald’s to franchisees that the fast-food chain was ending a two-year trial into AI order-taking in collaboration with computer company IBM. The fast food giant is slated to take the feature offline by July 26, according to Restaurant Business, which obtained an internal email sent to franchisees last week.

Currently, it only supports single question-and-answer conversations, but Yelp says a longer conversation string will be available later this year. But despite generating no food waste, not everybody’s thrilled about the ecological impact of the restaurant. Ethos, which claims to be Austin’s #1 restaurant, has 72k followers on IG.

“AI will not only change the way we live, it’ll change the way we work,” he predicted. Unlike ChatGPT, the Meta AI chatbots are not yet capable of reading images (great for translating menus) or listening to audio (for translating speech). And unlike Gemini — which has a direct connection to Google Flights — Meta AI does not have as reliable of a connection to flight information, based on a Skift test. Xina offers a voice-ordering chatbot for kiosks and phone ordering, tailored for restaurants and hotels.

It was a sign that restaurants are starting to think critically about how to implement the technology. To guard against the misuse of AI in hiring, New York City in 2021 passed a law that requires companies that use the technology to disclose its use to job candidates. Employers are also required to conduct annual third-party “bias audits” of their automated hiring systems to ensure the technology isn’t discriminating against certain types of candidates. The new technology is expected to reduce the amount of time it takes Chipotle to hire an employee for an in-restaurant position by as much 75%, Chipotle said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. By collecting basic information about candidates, Ava will free up restaurant managers to focus on other tasks, according to the company. The AI can also schedule interviews and even make job offers in real time, the company said.

The future is weird

There are plenty of ways AI can improve restaurant operations behind the scenes and customer experiences in front. “As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future. It can be a powerful tool for optimizing menu pricing by analyzing a vast amount of data, including historical sales, customer preferences, competitor pricing and market trends, to provide valuable insights into optimal pricing strategies. AI-driven systems can adjust pricing in real-time based on various factors such as demand, time of day, day of week and even weather conditions.

“this is an awesome reason to make the earth really hot,” replied one person to Moore’s post, referring to the energy demands of image generation. “It’s a playful version of what’s to come,” one chef told the magazine, while another speculated that it could be the brainchild of a local pop-up restaurant impresario. The restaurant first gained attention last year, when Austin Monthly wrote an article noticing the account, which had also come to the attention of other, real Austin chefs who found it funny and were wondering who might be behind it. In December, McDonald’s also entered into a partnership with Google aimed at utilising generative AI, although the details of the deal initially remained unclear. Various options are now to be examined and McDonald’s wants to commit to a technical solution by the end of the year, according to the report. New York City leaders and small business owners are learning about the pitfalls of relying on AI the hard way.

LLMs essentially allow us to parse all of that data in a way and at a speed that we’ve never had before. A Leading WorkplaceIn August, Chipotle ranked #1 on the American Opportunity Index’s first-of-a-kind rankingof the top 50 employers that offer recent high-school graduates with the best pathway to a sustaining career and increased compensation. Last year, Chipotle had 24,000 internal promotions including 90% of its restaurant management roles and 87% of Field Leader positions.

Restaurants might do happy hour, but you could do more data-driven strategies to drive more demand. However, successful AI implementation requires careful planning, investment and collaboration to realize its full potential and effectively navigate potential challenges. As AI continues to evolve, its integration into the restaurant industry will undoubtedly usher in a new era of efficiency, innovation and data-informed decision-making.

With customer loyalty increasingly being impacted by a restaurant’s sustainability efforts, a more conscious QSR would help improve the experience of many diners. It also allows employees to be more efficient as they don’t have to spend as much time dealing with customer complaints or remaking orders. However, using AI is still in its beginning stages, and ordering systems only work as well as the AI models can be trained.

When opening a new conversation with Meta AI, the chatbot makes several suggestions for topics to ask about. The prompt was for a flight from New York City to Vancouver in September. Bite Ninja’s virtual drive-thru cashiers are remote workers who take orders in a Zoom-like conference call setting.

By Emma Roth, a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Another thing we found was across all of the beauty ads, only 2.9% of people had large bodies. When you start layering things on, a large body size, a deep skin tone, 55+, she’s absent.

McDonald’s is ending its two-year-old test of drive-thru, automated order taking (AOT) that it has conducted with IBM and plans to remove the technology from the more than 100 restaurants that have been using it. Convenience stores are focusing more on prepared food, led by concepts like Wawa, Sheetz and Buccee’s. With consumers continuing to yearn for convenience, these brands are going after the very customers that would typically occupy a drive-thru on their way to or from work. A number of other major restaurant chains, retailers and other companies have turned to Paradox’s AI hiring tech, including Applebee’s, McDonald’s, Panera Bread, Taco Bell and Wendy’s. AI is a powerful tool that can help greatly increase the customer experience.

• Later this year, GiveX expects to launch its voice AI tech with more brands.
• AI uses numerous variables to predict what times will be busiest, including past data, weather, and events.
• The acquisition of Apprente was done with the goal of eventually deploying the AI-powered technology at the restaurants’ drive-thru locations in order to improve speed and efficiency of order-taking.
• The upgraded software, which debuted at the show’s “Startup Alley” section, allows one remote cashier to take orders for multiple restaurants.

“IBM developed automated order taker technologies with McDonald’s to support the emerging use of voice-activated AI in restaurant drive-thrus,” the company said in the statement. “This technology is proven to have some of the most comprehensive capabilities in the industry, fast and accurate in some of the most demanding conditions. ReachifyAI is a phone automation solution tailored for the restaurant industry.

Another instance involved a customer being billed $222 for multiple McNugget meals due to AI miscommunication. Companies including Checkers and Rally’s, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., Krystal, Wendy’s, Dunkin and Taco Johns have all either tested AI technology for its drive thrus or has fully implemented it on a permanent basis. But the company informed franchisees in an email Thursday that the program will end July 26, though it said it will likely reintroduce the use of AI at its drive-thru windows sometime in the future, according to Restaurant Business.

McDonald’s is ending its AI-driven drive-thru ordering experiment with IBM by late July 2024. Despite the end of this partnership, McDonald’s believes AI voice ordering has potential for the future and will continue exploring new solutions for customers who prefer this style of service, according to Restaurant Business. US competitors such as the fast food chains Wendy’s and Carl’s Jr. are also experimenting with the automated acceptance of spoken orders. It remains to be seen how quickly such solutions could be applied outside the US, as AI software is usually developed first in English. “Our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice-ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future,” the company said in a statement to Restaurant Business. Perhaps this “future voice ordering solution” will be provided by a company other than IBM or even made in-house.

Restaurant data tends to be disparate, Phillips said; centralizing it is step one. While the industry’s titans tackle AI head-on, smaller operators are taking more of a point-by-point approach. Yelp’s rival, Google, is also leveraging existing review data to show AI-powered summaries of places on Google Maps.

Joe Reinstein, executive director of the Digital Restaurant Association, noted that while it’s still “early days” for AI-powered restaurant tech, he acknowledged that such advanced technologies can solve real problems for restaurants. The advent of AI-driven robotics has the potential to revolutionize the back-of-house operations by automating repetitive tasks in the kitchen such as food preparation and assembly. The pizza segment is one of the early adopters of AI-driven robotics in the kitchen.

The truth is there are plenty of benefits and applications for restaurants where AI can improve operations behind the scenes and customer experiences in front. McDonald’s is reportedly planning to end its artificial intelligence-powered automated drive-thru order-taking experiment at more than 100 locations after angry customers reported receiving items they didn’t order. Several brands are, indeed, testing the AI drive-thru ordering landscape with a variety of tech partners, indicating a growing curiosity about its potential. Checkers and Rally’s, Jersey Mike’s, CKE, White Castle, and Del Taco are other examples of chains testing the technology.

It helps improve the efficiency of workers, reduces wait time, and can track trends. Additionally, inventory can be checked to make sure that the most in-demand menu items are well-stocked, ensuring that customers are able to receive their orders. By implementing AI, not only can employees focus on the more important and time-consuming aspects of their role, but customers’ experiences are improved as they are met with better quality service from staff. With AI doing the initial heavy lifting, employees have more time on their hands to focus on delivering a high-quality customer experience.

AI replacing workers? McDonald’s halts the use of AI chatbot in drive-thrus – HR Grapevine

AI replacing workers? McDonald’s halts the use of AI chatbot in drive-thrus.

Posted: Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Amid rising labor costs and high inflation, there is a clear and increasing demand for technologies that both replace and augment labor while offering seamless convenience for today’s digitally savvy consumer. With this tool called Sous Chef [an AI chat assistant], we give them really easy insights on three, four or five things you should really consider or pay attention to, or change or factor in as you think about your operations. It could be things like what to put on menus for concepts that are very popular in your zip code, how to think about inflation trends, how to think about pricing. I wouldn’t say it’s quite like having a data scientist on staff, but you start to see early signals. One way many restaurants coped was through technology, which boosted Toast.

With results like that, it’s no surprise that some of the very biggest restaurant companies are making big investments in AI. “We’ve been able to get some really good ROI just from Patty sitting in the drive-thru doing his or her thing,” said Stephen Brown, Antares’ head of operations excellence. Using existing data to surface different kinds of information has been a real theme for Yelp this year. The company also introduced some of these features to its Yelp Fusion API.

The goal of the test was to determine if an automated voice ordering solution could simplify operations for employees while also creating a faster, better experience for customers. Since, however, surveys have yielded underperforming metrics, including a 2022 report from BTIG showing that voice ordering accuracy was in the low 80% range. McDonald’s was aiming for a 95%-plus order accuracy rate before embarking on a broader adoption. The AI system – and its inaccuracies – have also been the subject of fodder on TikTok.

McDonald’s test with IBM is in the process of ending this month, though the Golden Arches did not clarify why it was sunsetting the tech. As of March, Presto Automation’s voice AI required human intervention in roughly 70% of orders, and the revenue generated by voice-AI was not enough to compensate for the end of Presto’s major tablet deals. Existing customers will not experience an interruption to their service and will continue to receive technologies under their respective brands. David Lance, Solutions Architect and Head of AI Platforms at Bottle Rocket, discusses how using AI can improve customer experiences in QSRs, from reducing waste times to ensuring the best items are always on the menu. On the flip side, stock can be decreased for items that do not have much traction, reducing a QSR’s food waste. With restaurants generating up to 25,000-75,000 pounds of food waste a year, AI can be used to improve sustainability efforts by constantly monitoring inventory and alerting what is needed and what can be potentially reduced.

You don’t have to roll out AI in every area of your restaurant operations. Instead, start small with a pilot—like a chatbot in your restaurant app—and go from there. Finally, as you run your pilot, track KPIs to measure if you’re meeting your goals, as well as your ROI. This can not only show you how impactful your pilot was, but if successful, it can help you gain buy-in on future AI applications. In addition to better understanding your customers, use AI’s predictive analytics in your inventory management.

Listed foodtech major Zomato has banned the use of AI-generated images on its restaurant partners’ menus and marketing materials in an effort to prevent misleading advertisements. For upselling to be effective, virtual assistants need to exhibit human-like intelligence to make informed decisions about when to upsell. For example, if a customer orders a fish sandwich, and the AI asks if they’d like to upgrade to a meal, and the customer replies ‘yes,’ the customer is now already aware that they can upgrade to a meal.

• Aniai’s Alpha Grill was a recipient of the show’s famed Kitchen Innovations award last year.
• In December, Bloomberg reported that McDonald’s was in discussions regarding a potential deal with Google, involving a chatbot named “Ask Pickles” that employees could use for various tasks.
• In addition to drive-thru orders, some companies have started to explore how generative AI could be used to develop digital chatbots on their apps or utilize image-recognition to determine wait times.
• For upselling to be effective, virtual assistants need to exhibit human-like intelligence to make informed decisions about when to upsell.

AI-powered tools can provide next-level benchmarking insights, allowing operators to quickly compare their performance with eateries in their area and understand local market dynamics across menu items and operational metrics. Sixty-two percent of customer service specialists say that AI helps them understand their customers better. AI can sift through your customer data to uncover behavioral trends and take action on those insights. For example, a customer likes to make reservations for Thursday nights, or they always order a specific combination of menu items, or they always order in from you on Sundays.

Bear Robotics “Servi” robots are designed specifically for food delivery. According to the restaurant association, labor is still a big pain point for restaurant owners. Hudson Riehle, the NRA’s senior vice president of research and knowledge, said that one out of three operators report recruitment and retention as one of their top challenges. By Wes Davis, a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. Every time I talk to restaurant owners, they talk about how that show just brings to life what it is like working in restaurants. In the episode I did watch, they have all these online orders and the restaurant can’t fulfill them.