Beyond Technology: The Benefits of AI in the QSR Industry

Daniel Litwin
Oct 29, 2019
Learn more
Acrelec AI artificial intelligence Beyond Technology customer journey Daniel Litwin Podcast product recommendation Promoted Content QSR restaurant self-service ordering technology Vincent Attia Podcast

 

On this episode of Beyond Technology: The Experience Podcast by Acrelec, Vincent Attia, Data Processing Manager for Acrelec, spoke with host Daniel Litwin, The Voice of B2B, about utilizing AI in the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) industry.

Attia began the conversation with a brief explanation of what AI is in the food service industry; in the QSR space, McDonald’s is one of the only companies who have utilized AI in their restaurants. To aid in this endeavor, McDonald’s acquired an Omnichannel Personalization Platform, Dynamic Yield, for $300 Million in the spring of 2019.

While this type of AI personalization is similar to the shopping experience Amazon provides, Attia detailed how the QSR industry can deploy it in a different way. One new product introduction that Attia said is doing well in the QSR industry is the self-service kiosk. The kiosk’s help reduce the pressure on the person ordering, who doesn’t feel pressured to hurry up and place an order. QSR’s have reported a 10-15% uptick in sales due to the kiosks.

Attia provided an example of a QSR formally known as Eatsa, which positioned itself as a 21st Century Automat, with a cashless, all digital order flow. Eatsa is now rebranded as a technology company, Brightloom, and has partnered with Starbucks. In exchange for an equity stake in Brightloom, Starbucks has licensed aspects of their mobile ordering and rewards technology to the QSR.

Attia and Litwin discussed why QSRs are slow to adapt AI technology, and how it can provide a deeper look into analyzing areas of the QSR workflow, from drive-thru lines to fry-cook temperatures. Attia went on to explain how AI can improve bottlenecks in the QSR workflow.

What many QSR’s may not know is, their existing hardware often would not have to change in order to employ these AI technologies. Attia walked Litwin through the steps a QSR must take in order to employ AI software on their existing hardware.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Food & Beverage Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @FoodMKSL
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

mindset
Rob Paylor’s Mindset Masterclass After a Life-Changing Rugby Injury: Rise, Recover, and Redefine What’s Possible
December 16, 2025

Every year, an estimated 17,000 Americans suffer spinal cord injuries, many of which permanently alter the course of their lives.. For former collegiate rugby player Rob Paylor, a devastating injury left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. Doctors told him he would never walk or move his hands again. But instead of accepting that fate,…

Read More
inclusion
Inclusion Beyond Compliance: What It Really Takes to Build Workplace Cultures Where People Feel Seen, Supported, and Free to Belong
December 16, 2025

Inclusion is often reduced to policies and checklists, but its true measure shows up in everyday experiences — in whether people feel seen, supported, and able to contribute without hiding parts of who they are. When organizations move beyond compliance and toward genuine understanding, they open the door to talent, perspective, and potential that…

Read More
healthcare
How Simulation-Based Education Is Transforming Healthcare Leadership and Decision-Making Worldwide
December 16, 2025

As healthcare systems worldwide face rising costs, workforce shortages, and increasing pressure to balance quality with financial sustainability, traditional classroom-based management education is struggling to keep pace. According to the World Economic Forum, healthcare spending now accounts for nearly 10% of global GDP, making leadership decision-making more consequential—and more complex—than ever. At the same…

Read More
work-based learning
Scaling Work-Based Learning in the Curriculum: How Riipen Powers Real Employer Projects at Scale
December 15, 2025

Higher education is facing renewed scrutiny over how well it prepares students for life after graduation. Employers are increasingly signaling that many graduates enter the workforce without real-world, job-ready experience—placing new pressure on higher education to rethink how learning connects to work. Research on high-impact practices consistently shows that experiential and work-based learning boosts…

Read More
Related
European fiber infrastructure trends
Software & Technology
Europe’s Fiber Future: Trends, Standards, and Market Shifts
December 11, 2025
SMB
Healthcare
Big-Brand Marketing, SMB Scale: Start with Strategy, Build on Trust and Measure What Matters
October 22, 2025

Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are facing a defining paradox in today’s digital marketplace. Access to powerful marketing technologies — from automation and CRM platforms to AI-driven analytics — has never been greater, yet cutting through the noise has never been harder. According to Salesforce’s Digital Marketing Guide for SMBs, even as these tools…

Read More
Real-World Marketing
Healthcare
Human Skills Power Real-World Marketing in the AI Era
October 22, 2025

As marketing teams adapt to tighter privacy regulations, the decline of traditional ad tracking, and the rise of social commerce, the profession is navigating a period of rapid transformation. Generative AI, automation, and data-driven personalization are reshaping how brands communicate and compete. Amid these shifts, marketers and educators alike are reexamining the skills and values…

Read More