9 tech tidbits from the National Restaurant Show
TECHNOLOGY
found him taking a picture in front of their booth). He said Otter is the only system he saw at the Show that came
close to what Toast offers. What can’t AI do?
Need something done in your restau- rant? If AI can’t do it today, it will prob- ably be able to soon. At the Show, there was a camera that monitors burger quality, software that automates invoicing, and a sys- tem that spits out ways to add avoca- do to your menu, to name just a few of the applications on display. And while AI has officially achieved buzzword status, there seemed to be a lot of genuine enthusiasm for it among attendees. “We get really excited by the right use cases,” said Patric Knapp, VP of operations at Bobby’s Burgers by Bob- by Flay. “AI can really take data today, capitalize on that information and present it in a way that is useful to us.” Tech support goes AWOL Several operators lamented the sorry state of customer service that’s being provided by some vendors these days.
This was a common refrain on the Show floor.
he said, noting that a POS overhaul can be a painful process. Small firms look for an exit The shift toward more all-in-one plat- forms has had an impact on smaller, more specialized vendors, some of which are hoping to get swallowed up by a bigger fish. “We’d love to get ac - quired,” said a rep from one small firm that asked not to be named. There are certainly buyers out there. Back-office tech supplier Restaurant365, fresh off its acquisition of training specialist ExpandShare, just raised $175 million and plans to use some of it on more acquisitions, for example. A tech community is forming There’s a real movement underway among vendors and restaurants to create more community within the fragmented tech world. That was visible at the Show via the proliferation of podcasts being re- corded on the floor. Shawn Walchef, a restaurateur and podcast veteran, said the format is a great way for op- erators to learn from one another. “Because we’ve started podcasting, we’ve connected with people all over the globe,” he said. Some suppliers are looking to fos- ter similar connections for their cus- tomers. SpotOn, for instance, has be- gun hosting monthly online meetups where restaurants can talk shop. And Toast was passing out literature invit- ing operators to join its free online fo- rum, Toast Community. “Connect with
your industry peers whenever it’s con- venient for you,” the handout says. Keep an eye on Otter The digital ordering company run by CloudKitchens CEO Travis Kalanick quietly launched a POS system this year, and operators are taking notice. Rafael Alves, CEO of New Jer- sey-based Snack Mania, is a longtime Toast customer and superfan (we
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There’s a movement underway among vendors and restaurants to create more community within the fragmented tech world.”
Shawn Walchef, right, hosts a podcast at the Show.
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National Restaurant Association Show 2024
PHOTO CREDIT: JOE GUSZKOWSKI
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