The chains’ parent company,
Dine
Brands,is rolling out AI to its brands’ 300 franchisees and 3,500
stores,the Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
reported
Friday (June 20), citing its interview with Dine Brands Chief Information
Officer
Justin Skelton.

“AI is moving quickly, and I believe it’s going to be embedded in
everything we do,” Skelton said in the report.

One of the tools being added for all franchisees is AI-powered tech
support that allows field technology services staff to use natural
language to query the company’s database, rather than manually searching
for answers, according to the report.

Dine Brands is also rolling out an AI-powered “personalization engine”
that uses data about customers’ prior purchases to automatically recommend
new or additional items and offer customized promotions to diners, the
report said.

The company is also working on adding the “personalization engine” to the
tablets used by servers and customers, using AI-powered cameras detect
when a table should be cleared, and developing an AI app that will help
restaurant managers with staffing and other day-to-day tasks, per the
report.

IHOP said in August 2023 that it formed a partnership with Google cloud
and would leverage that company’s recommendations AI technology for
digital ordering and more
targeted messaging.

The company said at the time that the partnership would infuse AI into its
online ordering experience, making it easier for guests to place orders,
find their favorite items and discover new ones that are relevant to their
interests.

restaurants are increasingly adopting technology and
automation
to address staffing shortages, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence and
American Express
collaboration, ”
Why More Restaurants Need to Bite Into
Digital Transformation.”

The report found that 67% of the establishments using automation said it
had delivered direct benefits to diners’ experiences.

In another, separate deployment of AI in this sector, it was reported
June 13 that
rapid-service restaurant
chain
Chipotle
cut its hiring time by 75% when it adopted an AI hiring platform.

SoundHound AI
said in November that its voice AI solutions had been deployed by seven of
the top 20
quick-service restaurants
which are using the technology for drive-thru, phone ordering, kiosks,
mobile apps and supporting their staff.