Dave Shula Returns as President of Shula's Restaurant Group
Dave Shula rejoins Shula's Restaurant Group as president, leading growth into Palm Beach Gardens and a 2027 Thomasville, Georgia expansion.
Sep 23, 2026
Dave Shula rejoins Shula's Restaurant Group as president, leading growth into Palm Beach Gardens and a 2027 Thomasville, Georgia expansion.
Sep 23, 2026
McDonald's commits $8.5 billion through 2036 to modernize restaurants, boost cash flow by $100,000 per store, and grow chicken and beverage sales.
Sep 23, 2026
WKS Restaurant Group promotes Jay Spongberg to president and COO after he helped grow the company from 65 to 382 restaurants over 16 years.
Sep 23, 2026
Smokey Mo's BBQ names Von Dawson, a Dine Brands veteran, as VP of Franchise Development to lead its Texas expansion strategy.
Sep 23, 2026
Meritage Hospitality's Chapter 11 filing pulls 5% of Wendy's U.S. stores into bankruptcy, exposing cracks in franchising's bigger-is-safer bet.
Sep 21, 2026
Jack in the Box names Rachel Ruggeri to its board as Michael Murphy retires, amid a CEO transition and deal with investor GreenWood.
Sep 21, 2026
Improve restaurant Google Maps rankings by optimizing your business profile, selecting accurate categories, gathering reviews, adding photos, and strengthening local relevance signals.
Sep 21, 2026
Restaurant inventory tracking helps owners monitor stock, control food costs, reduce waste, improve purchasing, and make informed operational decisions.
Sep 21, 2026
Restaurant owners can significantly reduce restaurant costs by leveraging technology across inventory, labor, procurement, forecasting, and administrative operations for better profit margins.
Sep 18, 2026
Understand how to forecast restaurant revenue and expenses with methods for sales projection, cost scaling, fixed-cost planning, and risk buffering.
Sep 18, 2026
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Discover how AI integration in drive-thru technologies is transforming the restaurant industry. Learn about the advantages and challenges of implementing AI systems.
Photo by Igor Omilaev
The integration of AI in drive-thru communications systems is reshaping the way restaurants interact with their customers. Valyant's AI tool, known for its seamless integration with existing software systems, such as PAR, HME, and POS, is leading the charge in this technological evolution. By enabling restaurant staff to leverage a generative AI chatbot to provide instant responses to on-the-job queries, Valyant is streamlining operations and enhancing customer service in drive-thru settings.
Photo by Igor Omilaev
Valyant's AI integration brings numerous advantages to restaurants. By working directly with a variety of dive-thru communications systems, including industry-standard brands like Brink, Xenial, NCR, Aloha, and Oracle Microsystems, Valyant ensures compatibility and ease of implementation. The hands-free nature of the AI chatbot empowers staff to multitask efficiently, leading to faster service and improved order accuracy. Furthermore, existing customers can seamlessly transition to the new AI tools without disruptions, ensuring continuity in service quality.
Despite the growing interest in generative AI, challenges and limitations persist. Recent reports, such as the one by Goldman Sachs, have shed light on the significant investments required in infrastructure to optimize the efficiency of AI tools. Estimates suggesting a marginal 0.5% contribution to labor productivity growth raise questions about the scalability and impact of generative AI in the long term. Understanding these challenges is crucial for businesses considering the adoption of AI-driven solutions in their operations.
Photo by Igor Omilaev
Major quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands have been actively testing drive-thru AI to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience. While Wendy's and McDonald's have been at the forefront of these trials, results have varied. Wendy's allowing franchisees to test drive-thru AI showcases industry experimentation, while McDonald's recent conclusion of testing with IBM hints at a reevaluation of AI strategies. The evolving landscape of drive-thru AI in QSRs underscores the importance of continuous innovation and adaptation.
Photo by Igor Omilaev
Assessing the impact of AI on labor productivity growth requires a nuanced understanding of its potential. With Presto Automation's voice AI revealing a substantial need for human intervention in orders, questions arise about the immediate revenue-generating capabilities of AI technologies. The evolving dynamics of AI integration in drive-thru technologies highlight the intricate balance between automation and human involvement in optimizing operational outcomes.