Here’s hoping the Big Guy reads this week’s column. | Photo: Shutterstock
What do you get the restaurant that has everything?
Operators have added a lot of technology in recent years (some might say too much). But they’re still on the lookout for new or better tools, particularly as AI expands the horizons of what tech can do.
So we asked operators to tell us what’s on their tech wish list for the coming year. There were some clear themes: Customer relationships and order accuracy are top of mind, along with a lot of AI.
Read on to see the responses, some of which have been lightly edited. And happy holidays from all of us here at Tech Check. We’ll see you again next year.
Ray Blanchette, CEO, TGI Fridays
I’d want predictive tech that could tell us how a new food or beverage item would perform across the 42 countries we operate in, helping us bring bold and craveable flavors to market with confidence.
I’d also be interested in a global “Fridays Cam,” connecting our restaurants and guests worldwide. Imagine eating at a Fridays in the U.S. and seeing the energy and celebration unfolding at a location in Japan.
Jared Cohen, COO, Protein Bar & Kitchen
Tech that will use a combination of security cameras and artificial intelligence to monitor productivity/accuracy in production. So making sure the modifiers are correct, making sure the portioning is right, making sure the packaging is right, and being able to have a system that intelligently collects all that data from an eight-hour shift with cameras over top of the assembly line, connected to the people that are working in those positions, ensuring that orders have gone out the door, and creating scorecards of how accurate people are. I’ve talked with different providers about piloting and developing solutions to do it. It is not ready for prime time, but that type of thing is probably the next frontier in driving more consistency for a brand like ours.
Keith Correia, CIO, Portillo’s
I am excited about how AI can transform the ability to use a customer data platform to dramatically enhance guest personalization, as well as how this technology combs through data in real time to extend a meaningful offer to a guest, along with real-time trackability, and more. There still needs to be a cohesive strategy and good governance, yet the ability to leverage AI in this manner is real, and really valuable!
Speaking of AI, I wish there were a much more holistic “AI Insights Assistant” that sits over restaurant applications. It would have a camera vision component that provides continuous guidance to a restaurant management team regarding how to improve sales and profits, via specific measures and accountability down to the individual team member level. It is akin to the start of a “digital manager/coach.” Some individual applications offer this, but any type of collective technology has not emerged yet.
Alex Macedo, CEO, Authentic Restaurant Brands (Pollo Tropical, Primanti Bros., other brands)
Our focus is on loyalty and guest relationship platforms that go beyond transactional rewards to capture the emotional connection guests have with our regional brands. Technology that helps us identify exactly why guests choose us—not just what, when and how they order—would enable us to protect and amplify the authentic, community-centered experiences that drive long-term loyalty in an increasingly competitive market.
Jason Morgan, CEO, Original ChopShop
I’d love to see AI technology that can validate ordered items and modifications at the expo window. It would be a huge help in improving order accuracy.
Peter Wiley, director of marketing & IT, Hot Head Burritos
On my wish list is an ezCater API that allows it to directly integrate with our POS, Qu. Technically, there are third parties that kind of offer this, so it may not qualify.
I would also love to see a platform that helps with valuing and appreciating team members more holistically. For example, when you add a contact in your phone (at least on iPhone), you can include birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates, and your calendar reminds you when they come up. It would be great to have something similar for team members, where you could also store details like their favorite color, movie, sports team, band, etc. This is something we’re actively trying to manage through surveys, spreadsheets, and calendars, but a single, centralized platform would be incredible. There may be something like this out there, but I’m not aware of it.
