"Smart operators recognize that having AI take orders is not the win. The win is using AI to orchestrate back-of-house operations. That includes tasks like: Making sure your kitchen doesn't run out of the appetizer everyone wants on Friday night. Triggering loyalty promos when inventory starts piling up. Adjusting labor schedules in real time when online orders spike. That's AI as a conductor, coordinating information across your tech stack so your staff can focus on what drives loyalty, making guests feel seen."
"There IS a consumer-facing AI revolution coming. Just not the one operators expect. It's not in the dining room. It's on phones, in cars, and through smart speakers. Half of consumers already use AI-powered search for buying decisions. Soon they'll place orders directly through ChatGPT or voice assistants or their car dashboard. Before long, customers will say, "Hey Siri, order our usual from [Restaurant]" while they are driving."
Customer-facing automation like kiosks and mobile ordering improved margins but coincided with falling friendliness scores and customer avoidance of overly automated restaurants. Operators face a choice between expanding visible automation or redirecting AI to back-of-house orchestration. AI can manage inventory to prevent Friday-night stockouts, trigger loyalty promotions for slow-moving items, and adjust labor schedules in real time to handle online order spikes. Consumer-facing AI ordering will shift to phones, cars, and voice assistants, enabling orders through ChatGPT and voice commands. Fragmented tech stacks, where POS doesn't talk to inventory and loyalty platforms lack integration, create operational barriers.
Read at Fast Company
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