Yum Brands has worked to consolidate customer data for its four brands.
The explosive growth of generative AI, which has already made its way into sectors like healthcare and retail, is further accelerating the pace at which fast-food chains embrace cutting-edge technologies. While these restaurants have traditionally lagged behind other sectors in technology adoption, that is quickly changing. The chains are finding they must keep pace with increasingly tech-savvy consumers, while keeping labor and other costs in check.
Yum Brands’ “AI-powered” artificial intelligence shapes nearly every aspect of how its Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Habit Burger Grill restaurants are run. The fast-food giant has been increasing its investment in technology and automation. About 45%, or about $30 billion, of Yum’s sales are digital, double the level in 2019.
Yum’s SuperApp, a mobile app for restaurant managers to track and manage operations—Yum calls it “a coach in your pocket”—is testing a generative AI boost. Team members can ask the app questions like “How should I set this oven temperature?” rather than turning to training materials or tapping through an app interface.
The goal is for SuperApp, now in use in more than 8,700 Pizza Hut and KFC locations, to connect technology systems so managers can order ingredients and schedule shifts without leaving the app. SuperApp can also be updated as features are developed, such as with an augmented reality tool for teaching employees how to make new products like Pizza Hut Melts.
Like its competitors, Yum is also testing generative AI’s use for customers, such as voice AI for drive-through orders. The company is also looking into image-recognition AI to count cars and waiting times in a drive-through, as well as digitally linked and managed kitchen appliances
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Classroom discussion questions:
1. How else could AI be used in managing a restaurant?
