Tech and restaurant execs share predictions for what’s to come back in AI, eating experiences and automation expertise in 2025.
The restaurant business is present process a technological revolution. AI-powered voice assistants are remodeling buyer interactions, enabling hands-free ordering, reservations, and inquiries. Cloud kitchens are gaining traction, providing a versatile and cost-effective mannequin for meals companies. Robotics are more and more built-in into kitchens, automating duties like meals preparation and supply, enhancing effectivity and doubtlessly reducing labor prices. Contactless funds and cellular ordering have gotten the norm, offering comfort and security for each prospects and workers.
These technological developments will not be solely streamlining operations but additionally enhancing the general eating expertise for patrons.
As 2025 kicks off, QSRWeb reached out to restaurant tech business professionals to be taught what they’re anticipating in 2025.
Automation and AI on the rise
The restaurant business will expertise loads of transformation subsequent yr, and that features extra companies tapping into automation instruments throughout their front- and back-of-house. Eating places will proceed to face excessive labor prices which are inflicting pressure throughout a number of areas of their enterprise. To handle this, eating places will look to combine extra expertise whether or not it is self-service kiosks, automated SMS advertising, catering instruments, supply administration, QR code or cellular ordering. All of those choices will assist operators streamline operations, enhance effectivity, and develop profitability to allow them to give attention to delivering top quality meals and repair. Among the many plethora of restaurant tech choices, although, the largest problem can be discovering and understanding which instruments are well worth the funding.
—Ming-Tai Huh, head of meals and beverage at Sq.
In 2025, I predict that pizzerias will leverage AI extra in a number of areas, together with telephone ordering and on-line ordering. For on-line orders, AI can present suggestions on pairings, equivalent to including on particular appetizers or desserts, based mostly on buyer traits and information acquired from the POS system. We anticipate seeing a shift to extra off-premises eating, with an uptick in prospects selecting up their very own meals, versus leveraging third-party supply companies, as a result of prospects try to chop again on further charges. With a rise in off-premises eating, eating places are analyzing how they’re packaging to-go meals, in order that it would not get soggy or develop into inedible. Meals prices will proceed to be a problem subsequent yr, however we’re seeing shifts in the suitable course. Cannoli Kitchen Pizza will stay targeted on catering to the client by offering high-quality, constant meals choices at an inexpensive worth. Total, it appears that evidently individuals are extra optimistic going into this subsequent yr, they’re optimistic concerning the economic system and their jobs, and we anticipate extra discretionary spending.
—Austin Titus, president of Cannoli Kitchen Pizza
QSRs go immersive and interactive with eating experiences
The design — and redesign — of QSRs and quick informal eating places has accelerated as manufacturers reply to shifting shopper habits and eating preferences. Many huge manufacturers within the QSR and fast-food areas are present process a technology-fueled transformation that’s designed round enhancing buyer experiences, boosting order accuracy and limiting wait instances. In 2025, QSRs will construct on this expertise footprint and determine touchpoints by which they will win shoppers utilizing immersive and interactive engagements. For instance, self-serve kiosks and smartphone order and cost choices by which content material is up to date and experiences customized based mostly on who’s utilizing the kiosk. Or interactive menu boards that join prospects’ social media and eating experiences, permitting for picture sharing, music choices and even put up strategies. And, capturing information from these digital and touchscreen engagements to spur analytics and make for higher enterprise selections and extra environment friendly order processing. It is about assembly the wants of all prospects — whether or not a household needing a swift drive-thru order on the best way residence from a busy day or the group of faculty college students who wish to catch up, dine in and make investments time in a sit-down meal.
— Misty Chalk, vp of gross sales, Americas, at BrightSign
Tech investments middle on elevated experiences
In 2025, expertise investments made within the QSR house will give attention to buyer expertise and selection to enhance satisfaction. QSRs are on this journey, revamping drive-thrus, augmenting counter service, deploying expertise instruments to help workers and extra. Each buyer is exclusive and is pushed by their very own set of motivators. Because of this, eating places will lean closely on expertise to enhance expertise and selection for the widest vary of people potential. For instance, self-service kiosks and IoT-enabled POS methods present real-time menu and loyalty choices for patrons, whereas giving them the liberty and suppleness to order what they need at their very own tempo.
Equally, expertise deployment within the drive-thru, equivalent to HD communication options, line-busting tablets and digitized menu boards enhance the velocity, accuracy and achievement of orders. That is essential to general satisfaction and repeat eating. And, in lots of instances, rethinking signage and content material methods to maintain shoppers engaged when in a bodily restaurant location, engaging those that are searching for social and communal experiences the place eating is not strictly based mostly on worth or the standard of meals. On the finish of the day, assembly shopper expectations at each completely different touchpoint with a constant expertise is difficult. That is the place expertise can have essentially the most impression within the new yr.
— James “Jay” Burdette, senior director of the Enterprise Course of Innovation Heart, Panasonic Join North America
In 2025, the restaurant business will proceed to embrace cloud-based POS methods as the brand new customary, offering flexibility, real-time updates and scalability that empower companies to handle operations and entry information from wherever. This shift enhances developments in self-service kiosks and digital menu automation, that are more and more tailor-made to buyer preferences and native choices. These applied sciences not solely increase effectivity and accuracy but additionally liberate workers to give attention to delivering distinctive visitor experiences. Whereas robotics adoption in QSRs will develop, the human contact will stay central to meals preparation in most U.S. eating places, mixing expertise with custom.
— John Maieli, channel gross sales supervisor for Star Micronics
