News Briefs

QSR Automations, best-in-class leader in restaurant technology, will be at the National Restaurant Association Show North Building – Booth 5834 to showcase its recently launched innovation, ConnectSmart® RecipesPlus, a digital recipe platform aimed at transforming restaurant kitchen operations. 

For years, restaurants have relied on old-fashioned printed recipe books prone to accumulating stains, being lost in translation, or just lost in general to manage their kitchens and feed hungry patrons. QSR Automation’s ConnectSmart® RecipesPlus is providing a new alternative to those restaurant kitchens that are ready to provide their guests and kitchen staff with an elevated experience. 

Since its inception over 25 years ago, QSR Automations has been dedicated to making restaurants smarter through its various innovations and technologies that push the dining experience forward. From kitchen automation, guest management platforms, and so much more, the company is committed to providing solutions to the challenges and changes facing restaurateurs, diners, and employees every day. 

"Making service easier for everyone is a key component of our vision at QSR Automations, so anytime we start developing a new product, we keep that top of mind. We are thrilled to share our latest innovation, ConnectSmart® RecipesPlus, with the industry at the National Restaurant Association Show and highlight how this solution can help the industry streamline training, improve employee retention rates, facilitate smoother kitchen workflows, and enhance the guest experience," shares QSR Automations CEO, Angela Leet. 

To learn more about how ConnectSmart® RecipesPlus can not only replace old-fashioned and outdated recipe books, but also ensure accuracy in the kitchen and a consistent guest experience, visit Booth 5834 at  the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago on May 18-21. 

SoundHound AI  Inc., a provider of voice artificial intelligence, has partnered with Perplexity, the conversational AI-powered answer engine. Together they will bring Perplexity’s online LLM capabilities to SoundHound Chat AI – a voice assistant that utilizes hundreds of real-time domains, as well as generative AI responses.  

The SoundHound Chat AI assistant will leverage Perplexity to provide accurate, up-to-date responses to web-based queries that static LLMs cannot currently answer – expanding the type and complexity of the questions the assistant is able to handle.

For example, a user can ask a question like: “How does the price of gas this week compare to last week?” and the response will combine accurate, live information on gas prices with a comprehensive generative AI-style explanation that provides further context. The user can then follow-up with, “Navigate to the nearest gas station,” which uses SoundHound’s technology to seamlessly incorporate data from the appropriate sources and integrate with the navigation software of a device such as a car or a phone.

SoundHound’s voice AI products are built on nearly 20 years of experience in AI, speech recognition, and natural language processing. The company’s proprietary technology allows for category-leading speed and accuracy – allowing a user to speak naturally to access a vast range of real-time knowledge domains (like flight times, sports scores, music selection, and restaurant search), generative AI responses (from multiple LLMs), and now Perplexity’s incredible web-search results.

SoundHound saya ir Chat AI was the first voice assistant to launch with generative AI capabilities, as well as the first to go into production for automotive. SoundHound Chat AI is already deployed in over 12 countries in 18 languages with automotive partner, Stellantis.

The assistant also utilizes a specially developed arbitration technology that uses a combination of software engineering and machine learning to intelligently select the more appropriate response, helping to minimize harmful “AI hallucinations.”

“Through this integration with SoundHound’s Chat AI assistant, we’re one step closer to our goal of making Perplexity available to everyone across every device they use,” said Dmitry Shevelenko, Chief Business Officer at Perplexity AI. “With the growing popularity of voice AI, we’re allowing users to more easily access the information they need, when they need it.”

“By integrating Perplexity search capabilities into SoundHound Chat AI we’re raising the bar for voice assistants and the kinds of queries they can handle effortlessly,” said Mike Zagorsek, Chief Operations Officer at SoundHound AI. “Where this technology is already deployed in vehicles, we’re seeing usage habits shift substantially – increasing by multiples. We’re confident that this enhancement will further delight users as more and more people choose to talk rather than type.”

To learn more about SoundHound Chat AI visit www.soundhound.com.

Aniai, a provider of kitchen automation and AI solutions, announces its first North American showroom in Midtown Manhattan. 

Aniai’s flagship product Alpha Grill leverages advanced AI and robotics to automate the hamburger patty cooking process, enhancing efficiency and consistency in restaurant kitchens. Aniai has partnered with several North American quick-service-restaurant brands to conduct pilots, with an anticipated rollout at multiple locations over the next year.

With the launch of its New York showroom, Aniai is excited to offer existing and potential restaurant operators a direct glimpse of its Alpha Grill in action.

“We look forward to welcoming customers and industry professionals to our New York showroom to witness the future of kitchen automation,” says Eric Hansen, Head of Sales, North America. “I genuinely feel that we’re at the very beginning of a significant paradigm shift within the foodservice industry- a shift that embraces robotics to improve the lives of employees by reducing labor intensity and providing myriad ancillary benefits for restaurant operators over the long run.”

Restaurant Show

For restaurant operators who want to see firsthand the future of kitchen robotics sooner, Aniai will be making its second consecutive appearance at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, where it will showcase the Alpha Grill along with several enhancements, most notably, ‘Alpha Cloud’. Using cloud-based AI, Alpha Cloud can discern the color of hamburger patties and assess their quality in real-time through vision sensors that monitor the cooking process; promptly notifying kitchen staff about patty quality while ensuring rigorous and enhanced quality control.

“Seeing is believing,” said Aniai CEO Gunpil Hwang. “When introducing innovative technology that’s the first of its kind, it’s important that potential adopters can see it in action and to fully understand exactly how it can enhance their businesses. This is what we’re planning to accomplish with our New York showroom, a permanent extension of what we’ve offered at the NRA Show.”

With an anticipated participation of over 55,000 industry professionals, the National Restaurant Association, Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, renowned as the paramount event in the foodservice industry, is gearing up to host one of its largest shows since 2019. Boasting an expanded show floor by 10% compared to 2023, the 2024 Show will feature over 2,240 exhibitors spanning every facet of the industry. Among these, a remarkable 68%—more than 1,500 companies from across the globe—are returning to the Show and will be joined by a 700+ companies debuting products for the first time. The National Restaurant Association Show, taking place May 18 – 21, 2024, at McCormick Place in Chicago, will be the ultimate destination for showcasing innovative solutions and the latest food and beverage trends shaping the future of the foodservice industry. 

Tom Cindric, President of the National Restaurant Association Show, remarked, “The Show remains unparalleled in its ability to showcase the industry's vitality and drive innovation forward. With each passing year, the Show provides a comprehensive snapshot of the industry's trajectory, shaped by the collective contributions of our diverse exhibitors. We eagerly anticipate the influx of new voices and ideas, alongside the continued insights from our returning participants.”

The 2024 Show will impress with its expansive exhibit space covering 700,000+ square feet, the size of over 12 football fields. With over 900 product categories on display, ranging from food and beverage to equipment, technology, AI-powered solutions, bespoke tableware products, emerging global flavors, and more, attendees will experience a comprehensive showcase of the latest innovations driving the foodservice industry forward. 

This year, the Show will welcome more than 600 international exhibitors, representing 28% of the total exhibitors, from diverse countries worldwide, including Canada, China, Brazil, India, and more. Participation in the Show not only provides exhibitors with invaluable networking opportunities and exposure but also catalyzes business growth, cementing its status as an essential platform for both new and returning exhibitors worldwide.

As exhibitors prepare for this year’s Show, they eagerly share their experiences and why they invest in this event each year: 

"This is an amazing gathering point for so many of our existing clients,” stated Christ Lovett, Sales Leader at DoorDash. “So, it's a phenomenal opportunity for us to be able to link up with businesses that we spend so much time talking to on the phone." 

"The reason why we come back [to the Show] is because foodservice is a big part of our business and the ROI that we've seen from this event has been exponential," Gulshan Kumar, Vice President of Sales at Pathwater, remarked.  

More than 600 exhibitors, both new and returning, will be featured within eight pavilions on the Show floor, providing dedicated spaces for both new and returning exhibitors to showcase their offerings and innovations. These pavilions offer curated experiences tailored to specific interests, such as A Taste of the States, Bellavita Italian Pavilion, Iberica Spanish Pavilion, The Beverage Room, Global Food Expo, Organic & Natural, and the TECH Pavilion. Additionally, the Startup Alley will highlight first-time exhibitors and emerging organizations presenting food and beverage items, equipment, technology, and more, contributing fresh ideas to the foodservice industry.

Having received specialty awards, both new and returning exhibitors will also be showcased in designated areas on the Show floor. This year's Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards are recognizing 35 recipients for their industry-altering products shaping the future of food and beverage, with 10 FABI Favorites selected by the judges for their unmatched influence and visionary contributions to the industry. Additionally, the 2024 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards celebrate their 20th Anniversary, honoring 25 recipients who define the gold standard of foodservice equipment innovations, elevating automation, efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

For the complete list of companies exhibiting at the 2024 Show, click here. For more information and to register, visit nationalrestaurantshow.com. Connect with the Show online on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Guests staying at Home2 Suites by Hilton now have access to seamless mobile ordering and delivery via Grubhub Onsite, available at nearly 600 properties nationwide. 

Home2 Suites guests can order meals and convenience items from the Grubhub app via geolocation and QR codes around each property, directing them to Grubhub’s Marketplace. The hotel location and courier drop-off instructions automatically populate at checkout for convenience and ease. 

Dinner Delivered 

More than 30% of travelers struggle with not knowing where to order food and 25% worry about not having access to a car to get around, according to a Grubhub survey. Further, nearly 50% of travelers said they’d use a delivery app to order forgotten items. With this integration, travelers don’t have to worry about food, transportation or these forgotten items since Grubhub and Home2 make it easy to order from local restaurants and find nearby convenience stores for delivery right to their Home2 Suites hotel.

“With a keen focus on finding new, innovative ways to enhance the guest experience and the comforts of home, we are thrilled to add Grubhub delivery to boost our existing food and beverage offerings, providing guests with more consistency, choice and flexibility during their long stay at Home2 Suites,” said Talene Staab, brand leader of Home2 Suites by Hilton. “In addition to giving guests access to delicious dishes from nearby restaurants and eateries, this program also supports the business growth of local restauranters and the broader community.” 

Following a rollout at 500 Homewood Suites properties, Home2 Suites by Hilton, an all-suite extended stay hotel, is the second Hilton brand to team up with Grubhub Onsite, a full-service technology solution for hotels and college campuses. 

Home2 Suites joins Grubhub’s roster of hospitality partners, including Choice Privileges, Sonesta International Hotel Corporation, My Place Hotels, and fellow Hilton brand, Homewood Suites. Since the launch of the program in 2023, tens of thousands of guests have placed more than 150,000 orders.

Survey Methodology: Grubhub partnered with Dynata to survey 1,057 adults between February 12 and 13th, 2024. 

Checkmate, a restaurant ordering solutions provider, acquired VoiceBite, a voice AI company that automates the restaurant ordering process with a "better-than-human experience." Their solution is built from the ground up using advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) that power today’s AI solutions, giving them the ability to learn and iterate faster. VoiceBite says it has been able to handle over 95% of voice-ordering scenarios without human intervention.

VoiceBite was designed to use the restaurant’s existing phone number, integrate with the POS, and get up and running in days. The plug-and-play setup requires zero staff training. As a part of the Checkmate platform, VoiceBite’s technology will help restaurants reduce operational expenses, expedite order fulfillment, and boost profit margins.

• 85% say integrations with other systems is driving POS purchasing decisions, according to HT's 2024 POS Software Trends Survey

Voice AI as a whole is still a relatively new technology, and many solutions on the market are built on older data models that aren’t designed to interact with customers naturally as humans would. By acquiring VoiceBite, Checkmate also removes a layer of friction, allowing brands to offer AI ordering experiences through a unified platform, making it easy to go live in days, not months, and instantly track customer data alongside other channels.

Benefits

• Seamless integration & implementation: Checkmate's expertise in menu management and POS integrations means adding voice AI is straightforward, so your staff can focus on more high-value tasks.
• Smart upselling: VoiceBite's upselling engine suggests the perfect add-on item based on the customer’s order. The customizable feature is tailored for the highest conversion rate items, giving brands a reliable way to increase ticket size.
• Context-aware: Intelligently interprets vague requests, like choosing the largest size of wings (as opposed to 100 wings) or recalling past preferences during a call, allowing customers to order as they normally would at the restaurant.
• Multilingual human voices: Use voices with the friendly and engaging tone of your best employee with support for multiple languages to expand your reach. Gone are the days of robotic monotone voices and lifeless conversations.
• Natural cadence: VoiceBite's AI seamlessly handles interruptions mid-conversation, addressing customers' immediate requests and continuing the order for an intuitive experience.
• Text ordering & payment: This feature facilitates easy order placement and secure payments via text, adding another layer of convenience to make the ordering process even faster.
• Hands-on support: With VoiceBite now part of Checkmate, you get the same reliable customer service and 24/7 support to answer questions, resolve issues, and keep operations running smoothly.

"Acquiring VoiceBite allows us to provide a truly unified ordering experience for our restaurant partners," said Mike Bell, Checkmate's Chief of Strategy. "By integrating voice AI capabilities directly into our platform, restaurants can now offer seamless phone ordering and drive-thru (coming Q4 2024) alongside their other digital channels. This improves operational efficiency while delivering the exceptional service that keeps customers coming back."

"We're thrilled to join Checkmate and combine our advanced voice AI ordering with their solutions and integrations," said Robert Nessler, Founder & CEO of VoiceBite. "After collaborating with their team, we realized coming together would allow us to deliver exponentially more value through seamless, conversational AI ordering across all channels. This unification will rapidly accelerate voice AI development for restaurants."

With this acquisition, Checkmate further solidifies its position as an industry leader in the restaurant technology space. Restaurants using Checkmate gain access to an all-in-one platform powered by advanced voice AI, ensuring a consistent ordering experience no matter how their customers choose to engage. As the digital landscape evolves based on consumer demand and market forces, Checkmate will continue to expand its solutions to help brands grow their businesses however they choose.