Checkers and Rally’s has made the plunge into the tech world. The fast-food brand has signed a deal with Presto, a technology-based company that delivers hospitality solutions in the world of QSR.
The new technology will enable customers to give their order to an artificial intelligence system (A.I.) that can take it largely without error, and relay it to the cooks in the kitchen. It’s a part of a wider trend to use technology to simplify parts of the business, or reduce the need for labor.
Trials showed that 98 per cent of orders were completed with little to no staff interaction, and was able to deal with infrequently ordered menu items and varied accents.
To get a better understanding of the new tech and Checker’s direction, we spoke to chief information officer for Checker’s and Rally’s, Minh Le.
RP: Why is further digitization and automatization necessary in QSR?
ML: The industry continues to experience massive tech adoption to meet consumer demands and keep up with ongoing trends. Specifically, industry reports show that millennials and Gen Z-ers are fast-adopters when it comes to tech in the restaurant, especially if it makes their experience faster and more efficient.
By leveraging technology, operators are empowered to create a more seamless, convenient experience for both customers and employees across all touchpoints – from online ordering to order fulfillment on- and off-premise. In today’s environment, QSR brands that take advantage of digitization and automatization will be the ones that stand out among the competition.
RP: What parts of the ordering, cooking and delivery process are most troublesome?
ML: The restaurant industry has long been slow at adopting cutting-edge technology, so understandably, ordering, cooking and delivery processes have remained somewhat arcane. Many restaurants today still use recipe instructions on pen and paper.
At Checkers & Rally’s, we prioritize both the employee and customer experience. That’s why we recently launched a number of initiatives to improve the ordering process, kitchen layout and delivery experience for all.
For example, the company recently announced the rollout of A.I.-powered voice assistant technology to all corporate location drive-thrus by the end of 2022 to help streamline operations, help with upselling and improve order accuracy for drive-up orders. Similarly, given the heavy influx of digital, off-premise orders, we converted two-thirds of corporate stores to include a dedicated e-commerce lane.
This has helped double delivery sales and provided an added level of convenience for digital-centric customers as well as delivery drivers. In addition, last year we launched a loyalty program and mobile app, offering customers an additional route to order off-premise and build and retain strong customer relationships.
Checkers & Rally’s has also rolled out the ‘FIT Kitchen’, a redesigned kitchen model built to streamline layout and reduce extra walking while also introducing new equipment to hold food better, deduct prep time and open new possibilities for menu innovation. For example, the FIT Kitchen replaces flattops with clamshell grills to boost quality and consistency, and features holding equipment that keeps products hotter for longer, fry stations and grill positions with better capacity, and removes final cooking processes from most fried products.
Not only does this new design make shifts easier for employees, but it also improves the quality of food and reduces wait times at the window for a superior guest experience.
RP: Which ground-breaking technology excites you most in QSR?
ML: We recently became the first large restaurant concept to utilize A.I. voice assistant technology at our drive-thrus nationwide. This is an exciting breakthrough for Checkers & Rally’s and the industry as a whole as this technology has dramatically improved our employee and guest experience.
As drive-thru continues to take more and more market share given its convenience, we look forward to seeing restaurant brands take advantage of voice assistance to create an even more frictionless drive-thru experience.
RP: Do you envision a near-term future in which robots will be able to prepare and cook food?
ML: We have and will always view the implementation of technology as a way to support our team members – to make their shift easier, safer and more enjoyable. While there has been much excitement around robots doing the actual cooking and prep work, we are likely a ways off from that being widespread across the industry.
Furthermore, we don’t believe robots will replace jobs. More likely, they could be implemented in ways that remove rote tasks and in turn help team members interact more meaningfully with guests.
RP: What is the importance of maintaining loyalty programs, and beyond the extra revenue it generates, what else does it provide you with?
ML: Given increased competition in the space, loyalty is fundamental to strengthening brand name and driving repeat visits. With the right program, operators can leverage data from their most valued guests to grow meaningful customer relationships that drive engagement and ultimately increased visit frequency.
We launched our loyalty program and mobile app last year and have since acquired 892,000 users that makeup about six per cent of digital orders.
