Facing unprecedented turnover rates and escalating food expenses, the dining establishment sector is turning towards automation as a means to boost productivity and enhance client satisfaction.
The traditional approach of increasing menu prices has become unsustainable, prompting brands to seek alternative strategies. A webinar titled “When Raising Prices Isn’t Cutting It: How AI Automation Cuts Costs and Customer Complaints” sponsored by PreciTaste and hosted by Networld Media Group, delved into the potential of artificial intelligence for managing kitchen tasks, offering the potential for reduced turnover, decreased food wastage, and enhanced customer service.
These innovations aim to elevate the experiences for both clients and staffers. Streamlined processes can result in quicker service times and a more uniform dining experience for patrons. For employees, automation can relieve them of monotonous duties and possibly foster a more appealing work atmosphere, bolstering retention endeavors.
Featured speakers included Ingo Stork, co-founder and CEO of PreciTaste, Kelly MacPherson, Chief Supply Chain and Tech Officer for Union Square Hospitality Group, and Chef Bill Kim, the founder of the fast-casual brand Urbanbelly. Mandy Detwiler, the editor of Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb, acted as the moderator for the webinar.
According to PreciTaste, 55% of diners are eating out less frequently mainly due to price hikes. However, AI has the potential to lower expenditures.
“The escalating costs are challenging the entire restaurant industry,” mentioned Stork. “Increased labor expenses are causing concern among operators, prompting them to seek solutions to navigate the existing milieu.”
PreciTaste specializes in AI for restaurant operators, with Stork indicating that many individuals have only been exposed to AI via conversational aids.
“Over the last couple of years, we have witnessed a surge in AI capabilities. I can now interact with it, converse with it, and we are beginning to observe these benefits materializing rapidly,” Stork noted. “Many inquire about its utility in their context and its functionality. This is a focal point for us.”
PreciTaste’s AI system acts as a support mechanism in the kitchen, assisting workers in identifying low inventory, monitoring customer flow, predicting future sales trends, assisting in staff scheduling, and more.
“The kitchen demands constant attention and we have developed a platform serving as a kitchen assistant manager utilizing computer vision technology, enabling us to comprehend the operational dynamics seamlessly in the background without manual interference,” Stork highlighted.
During the discussion with Kim, Detwiler raised concerns about crew exhaustion factors. Kim mentioned that the restaurant industry is an intense milieu with prolonged hours, repetitive tasks, physical strain, and a subpar work-life balance.
For clients, this might translate to variations in food quality, delayed service, errors in both the front and back-end operations, and since 2020, frequent staff turnovers leading to disruptions in consistency and reliability.
MacPherson echoed the sentiments about repetitive tasks being a considerable stressor in her organization’s eateries.
“It is a demanding profession,” she remarked, “and the day seldom unfolds as initially planned when you step into the restaurant for your shift.”
To explore more about PreciTaste’s AI kitchen management solution, visit the webinar link here for the complete presentation.
