Artificial intelligence (AI) in the restaurant industry has forever changed the meaning of operational efficiency, menu management, inventory control, and the market itself–with no sign of slowing.

Already, AI kiosks and assistants have sped up online ordering platforms, food preparation, and the processing of payment. Moving quickly ahead, AI restaurant technologies also improve forecasting, lower food waste, and reduce carbon footprints. They identify strategies for maximizing profits while minimizing costs.

In front-of-house or back, AI restaurant tools directly act on operations (usually through integrated app automation). They also support the processing of vast restaurant data to anticipate business needs and opportunities.

Learn from enterprise restaurants using AI. You'll see how successful implementation of intelligent, automated features can increase online ordering sales. It also protects restaurant experiences for your team and customer retention. 

Explore these 10 examples of practical applications for AI in restaurants to see how smarter software can seal in customer success alongside cost reduction.

Key Takeaway: AI restaurant technology reduces operating costs and produces higher satisfaction and sales, leading to growth for participating locations.

Why Are AI Restaurant Technologies and Benefits?

AI restaurant technologies are tools, platforms, and applications that allow owners and operators to learn from big data on customers for optimizing operations to succeed automatically. 

In their power to influence profitability, you’ll easily remember the very best reasons to use AI restaurant tools: efficiency, experiences, and expenses. 

Let’s take a case study of these restaurant cores improving through AI. Classic food chains like Starbucks, Taco Bell, and Dominoes will help define the best AI restaurant tools for your brand.

Increased Efficiency

Many AI restaurants—like Starbucks and McDonald’s—have existed for much longer than ChatGPT made its global debut. 

In fact, these enterprises have been using AI-enhanced software to aid scheduling and staffing for years. This leads to serious savings when analyzed annually. On a day-to-day basis, the benefit can be felt in never experiencing the stress and confusion of labor shortages. 

Rather, AI restaurants characteristically leverage intelligent cost reduction through labor-saving technologies and optimization.

Improved Experiences

With Taco Bell, a chain well-known for its bold personality and zeal for zest, we see another kind of advancement through artificial restaurant intelligence. 

At Taco Bell, automated kiosks integrate with previous order data and customer profiles. This becomes a sly and stylish upselling technique for restaurants to notice. The terminal at the taco giant upsells and cross-sell items through personalized recommendations. 

The result for restaurants that use AI in their store is an increased check average. That means the possibility of over-achieving when it comes time to dig into data dashboards for business insight on ROI.

Reduced Expenses

The success of enterprise restaurants with artificial intelligence comes from a combination of technical ability and creativity. After all, who could have anticipated that robots would one day be scheduling staff, upselling items, and even taking orders directly from customers?

In restaurants that have chosen to adopt AI restaurant tools in following suit, more than 60% say it’s led to reduced expenses and smoother operations. In addition to the use of text-to-order tech, imagine the savings that Dominoes will see after they’re finished testing automatic voice ordering at 40 locations across the US. 

AI restaurant tools do not simply increase the speed and accuracy of customer satisfaction. Instead, they’re often responsible for creating new opportunities, savings, and promotions for total brand growth.

10 Real-World Examples of AI Restaurant Technology

Think of every step between the ordering of a meal, its order tracking, and the ultimate, optimized delivery being almost automatic. How would your customer feel about that? 

Or, consider the reduction of food waste possible when you slow down and take a closer look at item popularity and sustainable menu practices. How would your stakeholders like a $7 bump in annual gains for every $1 invested in such technology?

AI applications begin to sound very appetizing as they tease your taste for business advantage—with a competitive edge. Take a look at these innovative uses of AI restaurant tech. 

Get inspired to cut losses and capitalize with 10 uses for AI in your across each of your locations. 

Food Waste Reduction

Your existing system of applications with AI-enabled should be like a tightly wound spring, integrated and ready to flex. As you feed it your POS system data or inventory stock levels, watch it unfold insights into what promotions to prepare, what orders to place, and what activity to expect.  

You can trust restaurant intelligence to keep fresh fruits and crisp veggies through reporting and analytics. 

With inventory control, app integrations, and restaurant automation, you’ll see less food waste and better decision-making. You may want food costing features to get the full benefit of this software bounty. 

Predictive Stock Ordering

By processing sales data, some AI tools (and online ordering software integrations) can foresee your customers' order cycles. By coordinating with other technologies, many AI restaurant tools also order on their own, preparing restaurants for smooth service experiences. 

Many restaurants already predict stock orders with food data analytics from POS systems, CRM solutions, or online ordering platforms. However, with an AI-specific tool, you’re more prepared to plan and please. A system for analyzing stock orders against order trends and predictions minces the usual inventory guesswork.

Customer Experience Personalization

By remembering online orders (like Taco Bell’s upselling computers above), AI restaurant tech can be about as good as an attentive barista. In recommending an additional shot of espresso or a side order of soup—your automated systems should increase restaurant sales and make your customers feel noticed.

It’s a kind of magic when your AI-enabled systems never forget a birthday, remember your usual group reservations, and prepare smooth delivery with a simple voice command. Share the enchantment with your customers to increase their satisfaction and loyalty. 

Customer Service Chatbots

Of course, a detailed discussion of AI technology in the food data fight couldn’t be complete without a moment for chatbots. When you think about your wait staff and servers at your customer's side, how much of the experience is building rapport through friendly, factual answers? If you’ve spoken much to Google Assistant or Microsoft’s chatty Bing engine, you know AI is oddly personable and even more informed.

Now imagine your AI tools as servers. They never tire, they’re always available, and they never spill a meal. Your restaurant may not want to surround customers with mission-driven machines serving spaghetti and salad—but the tools take a load off your staff (and the cost of labor). 

Give your customer 24/7 service with an AI chat ordering system that’s always ready with helpful responses, including order placing, payment processing, and routing all the way to your customer’s door.

Supply Chain Management

Managing the flow of ingredients, supplies, and restaurant kitchen equipment for enterprise brands goes above and beyond a “full-time” commitment. Teams of people can be tasked with forecasting and predicting the disruptions in supply that could come with the traditional process. 

But, you weather uncertainty in better style when operations are smooth due to AI insights, steering a steady stream of supplies. If your brand needs to stabilize, we know BlueCart, BinWise, and Revolution Ordering tech can help.

Analytic Quality Control

Did you know that computer vision is capable of seeing the same flaws in dishes that your eagle-eyed inspector might write down? We’re not far off from a future where cooks serve up food for systematic analysis before being served to the customer, checking for temperatures, portioning, and plating.

In most restaurants or hospitality establishments, it would help managers minimize complaints and negative feedback. Imagine the consistency of computerized insight, analysis, and diligence to guard the delight of your dishes. 

Enhanced Table Bookings

As your sleepless and service-oriented host, artificial data intelligence knows customers' preferences because it can directly relay between CRM systems, your restaurant POS, and online ordering integrations. As a result, it can optimize bookings to give everyone a taste of your desired experience. 

With each corner table or window seat occupied, there’s no room for missed opportunities to occupy a chair for one more check. And, don’t worry: the machine maestro handles individuals, couples, families, and groups of any size. It can be an iron-clad, restaurant reservation system for enhanced restaurant revenues.

In-House Staff Scheduling

Do you remember the days of the floor manager rushing away to the back office for a few hours to sweat over the highly sensitive “weekly schedule.” Now imagine that your seasoned floor manager whizzes through staff optimization week over week. 

The result of enhancing your restaurant stack with machine learning (ML) functions is no more idle Fridays or manic Mondays. When your staff is happy, it’s easy to see how customers feel it's safe to spend and enjoy themselves as well. 

Voice-Ready Online Ordering

Get customers ordering with AI tools that “listen” to customer commands and place orders without ever disturbing a paid staff member of the team. Instead of struggling to understand almost indecipherable speech, your AI operator transcribes every request, substitution, or replacement. This rewards your customers with order accuracy, it cuts your operating expenses, and it eases a streamlined path to sales. 

Delivery Route Optimization

Finally, there is the AI dispatcher and director. A key feature for sustainability in restaurants, order tracking and route optimization to ensure you save on fuel, reduce carbon footprints, and add order revenue to your bottom line—instead of the tank.

When customers get meals hot, fresh, and as ordered, there’s no need to tip the dispatching calculations. Carve out the perfect path to customer satisfaction through intelligent, integrated ordering technology. It could your next step to bring staff supportive, automated benefits in your restaurant. 

Frequently Asked Questions About AI Restaurant Applications

AI technology may not be as newly invented as many have come to believe. Nevertheless, AI restaurant technology is revolutionizing our industry, often turning last year’s strategies into dated practices. 

Learn all you can about AI restaurant technologies, and get the answers about F&B’s smartest tools for brand advantage. 

How do you add AI technology to restaurants?

Integrated online ordering platforms are a quick, competitive way to secure the savings, sales, and efficiency of AI for restaurants. 

Why? They come with digital menu ordering, text-to-order, 24/7 chat support, and full POS integration for those highly prophetic, profitable forecasts.

Which restaurants are already using AI?

Many American food service brands are known for operating with machine learning-enhanced analytics.

But, AI restaurant technologies are also on the rise with industry leaders like Panera Bread, Taco Bell, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Dominoes, and so many more fast food and quick-service chains. 

How is AI used in the fast-food industry?

Artificial intelligence (AI) finds new applications daily as restaurant owners and operators feed their learning systems increasing stores of precious customer data. 

Some most popular applications come through online ordering platforms’ smart automations and integrations: Orders placed through POS systems instantly alert staff, spur prep, note stock, route delivery, and personalize selling—automatically.

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