Automation

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Showing 1–20 of 21 articles

Technology & Innovation

Publishing an R365 schedule approves pending AI shifts

Pending suggestions and employee claims have different approval controls.

OCT 28, 2026 · 2 MIN READ

Technology & Innovation

Bojangles extends AI drive-thru deal, plans 100 more sites and line-aware upsells

Bojangles and Hi Auto plan 100 more Bo-Linda sites and a queue-aware upsell feature. What owners can test when it arrives.

OCT 23, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

Technology & Innovation

Square’s $1,999 voice kiosk targets franchise operators

Voice ordering and chain-level controls come with always-on internet, Square POS connections and monthly software fees.

OCT 22, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

Technology & Innovation

Deliveroo plans UK robot deliveries with Coco

Deliveroo and Coco plan a phased UK launch starting in Canary Wharf, with pavement robots handling short trips alongside the rider network.

OCT 7, 2026 · 4 MIN READ

Technology & Innovation

Sky Co-op uses AI to flag purchasing price changes

Tom Hannon says AI assistants flag purchasing changes while people retain buying decisions.

OCT 5, 2026 · 4 MIN READ

Operations & Management

Presto connects drive-thru voice orders to Toast

How menu management, voice generation and POS connections bring spoken orders into restaurant operations.

SEP 22, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

Finance & Economics

Qvinci launches RoyaltyHub for franchise billing

The platform connects royalty invoices and payments.

SEP 17, 2026 · 1 MIN READ

Technology & Innovation

&pizza removes kiosks and AI ordering

The chain cites lost interaction with guests.

SEP 17, 2026 · 1 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

Pilot completes Wendy’s kiosk rollout at 78 travel-center restaurants

Pilot’s completed Wendy’s deployment connects travel-center restaurants to brand ordering options within its wider food and digital program.

SEP 3, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

Paytronix and Qu Bring Complex Menu Rules Into Digital Ordering

The expanded integration covers nested modifiers, changing availability and channel prices. Operators need to test the exceptions as carefully as the order flow.

JUN 23, 2026 · 4 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

Restaurant365’s AI Launch Has Two Different Adoption Timelines

A May 12 availability map separates current tools from early-access projects. Employee records and reporting definitions will shape the work behind either choice.

MAY 12, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

Crunchtime targets inventory counts, photo review and manager follow-up

Crunchtime named early access for three AI tools. Evaluation should follow spoken counts, photo judgments and recommended tasks through the finished work.

APR 21, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

Little Caesars Connects ChatGPT Planning to Its Own Checkout

The April launch adds conversational meal planning and cart customization, with payment routed through Little Caesars’ app or website.

APR 16, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

Square and MarketMan Bring Inventory Closer to the POS. The Count Still Matters.

The deeper integration joins purchasing and sales inside a common service. Its usefulness depends on the records connecting a case received to a portion sold.

APR 2, 2026 · 3 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

Inside Sweetgreen's Infinite Kitchen: Can a Robotic Assembly Line Fix Fast Casual's Margin Problem?

Sweetgreen's robotic Infinite Kitchen delivers 700 basis points of labor savings and 10 points of extra margin. But with $450K per install and same-store sales falling 9.5%, the real question is whether automation can outrun fast casual's deeper structural challenges.

MAR 28, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

The QSR Labor Crisis in 2026: Wages, Automation, and the Fight for the Future of Fast Food

With quit rates surging past 4.8%, wages under political pressure, and unions organizing at record pace, QSR operators are turning to AI drive-thrus, robotic fryers, and self-order kiosks to survive. Here is where every major chain stands.

MAR 28, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

Why QSR Drive-Thru Speakers Are Getting an AI Upgrade and What It Means for Order Accuracy

From McDonald's to Wendy's to Taco Bell, AI voice ordering is moving from pilot to large-scale deployment across the drive-thru lane

MAR 20, 2026 · 10 MIN READ

operations

Operations & Management

The AI Labor Scheduling Revolution: How Workforce Management Platforms Are Cutting QSR Labor Costs by 8%

From Legion to CrunchTime, intelligent scheduling engines are reshaping how quick-service chains deploy their most expensive asset — people

MAR 18, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

Voice AI in the Drive-Thru: Why 85% Accuracy Isn't Good Enough

Major chains are betting billions on automated ordering systems, but the technology still can't match human performance when it matters most

MAR 18, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

technology

Technology & Innovation

The Kiosk Tipping Point: Why 2026 Is the Year Self-Order Kiosks Become Standard in Every QSR

After years of cautious adoption, kiosk technology has hit critical mass—driven by economics, consumer demand, and a fundamental reimagining of restaurant labor

MAR 18, 2026 · 11 MIN READ