As we enter the golden age of AI and automation, where can restaurateurs put these early tools to good use? Whether it’s a quick-service restaurant “hiring” AI to take orders in the drive-thru lane or employee training Whether it’s operators using artificial intelligence to build programs, machine learning and AI are beginning to fill the gap left by the efforts of dwindling restaurant staff. We meet the high demands of the digital order era.
One of the biggest opportunities for automation in industry is marketing. Several digital marketing platforms and other technology vendors are working with AI to add automated SMS and email functionality here and there to take one less job out of busy operators. For example, his BentoBox, an all-in-one restaurant that has just launched his commerce. Among other things, it is a marketing platform that automates marketing messages to customers. But that’s not all. ARO is an AI marketing platform that just launched in Miami that uses generative AI to create targeted promotions, and SevenRooms just acquired AI SMS marketing platform HeyPluto.
As automated marketing becomes even more influential in the industry, how could this impact restaurant operations? In other news this month, Google is increasing restaurant ordering This includes scaling back features and Yelp adding new AI features.
Tech Tracker brings together what’s happening in the restaurant industry’s technology space, including news from restaurants, vendors, digital platforms, and third-party delivery companies. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know and why.
Marketing automation and AI are becoming huge
This month, the BentoBox restaurant marketing and commerce platform is launching a new commerce engine that integrates and adds to the capabilities of technology vendors by adding features such as diner data management, menu management, loyalty, and a marketing center that includes the ability to automatically send SMS. It was just announced. Email marketing messages to your customers.
Krystle Mobayeni, CEO and founder of BentoBox, said that while the product is not completely AI-driven, it has features and touches of AI that make restaurants’ jobs easier, such as creating marketing content. For example, she said, an automated email campaign feature could remind customers to purchase gift cards to celebrate her mother before Mother’s Day.
“Operators aren’t copywriters, and they don’t all have full-time marketers on staff,” Mobayeni said. “These automated SMS and email campaigns allow restaurants to stay in touch with guests outside of the dining room, and in an automated way based on different audiences, different triggers, and different behaviors. This allows restaurants to set it and forget it.”
The “set it and forget it” approach to marketing is powered by multiple types of technology, including machine learning, generative AI, and algorithms. These tools will be integrated to power his ARO, a new AI marketing platform that just debuted in Miami at the end of January. The company claims to add a layer of personalization to automated, AI-driven marketing campaigns as more and more customers demand customized experiences in the post-corona era.
“Our goal is to develop a platform that allows restaurants to better understand their target audiences and tailor their marketing efforts to more effectively engage with those audiences, resulting in more traffic and higher conversions. Sebastian Brunet, CTO and co-founder of Aro, said in a statement. “The technology behind this platform leverages generative AI to recommend content to restaurants based on user engagement. We aim to answer a simple question: ‘Do I need to configure and create?’
These companies aren’t the only ones making AI and automation-enabled marketing a central part of their toolbox. DashTrack, a restaurant management platform, announced the positive results of a pilot test of its AI-driven content marketing platform that allows restaurants to build content for their websites and their SMS and email marketing campaigns. SevenRooms also just expanded its feature suite last month with the acquisition of HeyPluto, an AI SMS marketing platform. The company is Seven Rooms’ first acquisition and will allow the company to not only offer personalized text message campaigns, but also manage VIP guests with a product called Private Line.
Yelp adds new AI-powered features for business owners
Yelp just announced a series of new features for both businesses and consumers that provide details from menus and reviews, including an AI-generated business overview of restaurants. The company now also provides data-driven insights to help businesses choose the right Yelp advertising budget.
“Our latest product enhancements provide even more valuable insights for businesses on Yelp, providing business owners with comprehensive competitive performance data and smarter advertising budget recommendations, providing relevant and “We help you make strategic and informed decisions to reach consumers and grow your business,” Yelp said in the paper. Blog post about new features.
Google’s scale backorder feature
The ability to order from restaurants via restaurant profiles built into Google’s Search and Maps features has been a mainstay of the digital age since its launch in 2018, but the feature will be phased in by the end of June. It will be abolished. Instead, as first reported by NRN’s sister publication Restaurant Business, Order with Google redirects his Google search users to restaurant websites or third-party delivery sites.
A Google spokesperson said, “Over time, we’ve found that people generally prefer completing food orders on partner and merchant websites.” “So we are now transitioning Order with Google to focus on direct links with partners, allowing users to complete transactions with the partners and merchants of their choice.”
The ordering feature will be phased out by June 30th, but the changes appear to be rolled out gradually over time. When NRN tried to order delivery or takeout locally through Google, he was directed to order through DoorDash, Grubhub, or Postmates instead, even though the menu was still listed through the Google platform. Ta.
Owner.com and Starship Technologies announce funding round
Owner.com, an online ordering and digital marketing platform startup, announced a $33 million Series B fundraising effort in January to expand its team of engineers and product developers and improve its digital tools .
Self-driving delivery service Starship Technologies announced a $90 million funding round co-led by Plural and Iconical, bringing the 10-year-old startup’s total funding to $230 million. The company currently operates in six markets in the US and UK and plans to use this funding round to further expand globally.
Have a tech news tip? Email Joanna [email protected]