This 12 months’s Self-Service and Innovation Summit, hosted by Networld Media Group in Tampa, Florida from December September 11 will culminate with “Thought chief roundtable: Government predictions,” a panel devoted to serving to decipher truth from fiction and offering sensible recommendation for constructing your online business.
Know-how and enterprise are altering sooner day by day, from superior software program and synthetic intelligence to 3D avatars in self-service kiosks, to call only some rising applied sciences!
How is an operator to remain on high of so many adjustments, and the way can they future-proof their operations and buyer expertise no matter what comes subsequent?
These questions and extra are the core of a panel of distinguished business specialists at this 12 months’s Self-Service and Innovation Summit, hosted by Networld Media Group in Tampa, Florida from December September 11.
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The summit will culminate with “Thought chief roundtable: Government predictions,” a panel devoted to serving to decipher truth from fiction and offering sensible recommendation for constructing your online business. Panelists will embody:
- John Laspia, CEO at Kiosk Operators.
- Ashkan Mirnabavi, founder and CEO at NextGen Kitchens.
- Ishai Reinfeld, director of eCommerce, sensible answering at SoundHound AI.
- Invoice Stutzman, director of strategic initiatives at Ventus.
I reached out to panelist Ashkan Mirabavi by way of electronic mail interview to be taught extra about a number of the matters he’s passionate to share with the viewers and to get a preview of a number of the thought management that shall be on show through the panel.
Mirabavi is a distinguished enterprise chief and serial entrepreneur. A number of highlights from his broad resume embody serving as: founder at CIBOTICA, a food-tech robotic firm; founder and CEO at NextGen Kitchens, a multi-unit restaurant and SaaS know-how firm; proprietor of Nabavi Holdings, a restaurant holding firm.
Q&A with Ashkan Mirabavi, founder and CEO at NextGen Kitchens
Q: What’s the largest change you’ve got seen this 12 months, notably as AI reshapes know-how?
Mirnabavi: This 12 months, we have seen “AI” grow to be a buzzword, with companies speeding to leap on the pattern. Whereas many of those instruments are nonetheless of their early levels, the pace at which AI is being developed and carried out is exceptional. AI is already reshaping each back-end processes—like stock administration and logistics—and customer-facing programs with extra customized experiences.
Within the meals business, the place innovation has traditionally lagged, this modification is especially vital. Many operators are hesitant to be the primary to undertake new know-how, fearing the dangers, and a few even exit of enterprise earlier than they’re keen to vary. This reluctance is compounded by a enterprise mannequin that usually prioritizes cost-cutting over long-term strategic enhancements.
Regardless of these challenges, we’re seeing a shift. Automation and robotic options designed to reinforce worker productiveness are gaining traction. Bigger manufacturers with R&D budgets are investing closely in sensible industrial gear and automation, creating extra environment friendly back-of-house operations and decreasing the pressure on employees. These instruments, when used successfully, not solely enhance productiveness but additionally improve the standard of life for workers—an element the business has typically neglected.
Q: What’s your largest prediction for the approaching 12 months?
Mirnabavi: Wanting forward, AI will proceed to rework how meals operators handle complexity. We’re only some years away from AI changing jobs like drive-thru attendants, cashiers, and different repetitive roles. Even the implementation of those programs is more likely to be outsourced to AI and machine studying instruments that may deal with deployment and decision-making.
POS programs, for instance, are anticipated to grow to be way more succesful, specializing in personalization to create a greater buyer expertise. AI-driven insights will allow operators to investigate information from their POS programs, serving to them make smarter, sooner choices. Labor-saving and labor-enhancing applied sciences will dominate, as operators search to enhance effectivity with out sacrificing high quality.
Nevertheless, it is important to assume past surface-level claims. Many tech firms tout in depth capabilities, however few ship options that really handle the business’s challenges. Creating know-how is dear and troublesome to execute correctly. The businesses that succeed shall be these which are enthusiastic about fixing actual issues, taking an operator-first strategy to innovation.
Q: What ought to operators be doing to organize for a quickly altering business?
Mirnabavi: The meals business has historically been gradual to innovate, typically chasing the bottom price fairly than adopting higher enterprise fashions. Operators count on extra productiveness from workers with out investing in bettering their high quality of life, which is unsustainable.
To thrive in a quickly altering panorama, operators should embrace flexibility and innovation. Whereas know-how is not the reply for everybody, companies with well-established processes can enormously profit from scalable, seamlessly built-in instruments. Options like AI-powered chat options that analyze POS information and supply actionable insights might revolutionize decision-making.
It is also essential to companion with tech firms that really perceive the business. As restaurant operators ourselves, we strategy know-how with a deep understanding of day-to-day operations, guaranteeing it solves real-world challenges. Ardour for the issue and a give attention to bettering each productiveness and high quality of life for workers are key when choosing the proper options.
Q: What’s the largest mistake to keep away from proper now?
Mirnabavi: The most important mistake operators could make is resisting change or leaping into an answer with out totally understanding its worth. Complacency—counting on conventional strategies—will depart companies behind, however adopting know-how with out thorough analysis may also result in wasted sources.
On this business, many companies chase the bottom price or fall sufferer to a concern of lacking out (FOMO), leading to poor choices. It is essential to establish your particular challenges, consider options critically, and companion with tech firms which are each succesful and enthusiastic about fixing these issues.
On the finish of the day, the precise know-how ought to enhance the standard of life for employees and improve productiveness. Operators must steadiness innovation with a considerate strategy to make sure they’re investing in instruments that really align with their long-term targets.
Q: What’s your largest message to operators on leveraging this second for achievement?
Mirnabavi: It is a pivotal second for operators to embrace know-how as a strategic benefit. The meals business’s capability to drive income by means of know-how has been restricted up to now, however the alternative exists to assume past the normal mannequin.
Operators ought to take the time to guage inefficiencies, discover accessible instruments, and select options thoughtfully. Know-how like AI-powered platforms not solely streamlines operations but additionally enhances worker satisfaction by decreasing repetitive duties and enabling higher decision-making.
In the end, know-how’s worth lies in its means to enhance each productiveness and high quality of life. Instruments like NextGen Kitchens’ platform might help operators unlock new income streams, ship extra customized buyer experiences, and place their companies for long-term success. The secret is to undertake know-how that aligns together with your imaginative and prescient and solves actual issues—as a result of considerate innovation is what is going to drive the way forward for this business.
