AI is everywhere, including in kitchens
AI has been a hot topic, but people most often associate it with disruptions in the tech industry, or in communications and marketing. While the new technology is getting outsized coverage in these areas, the reality is that AI is emerging everywhere – and could be popping up in a kitchen near you, if it isn’t there already!
What do we mean by “AI”?
One of the most confusing things when it comes to AI is how broad the term can be, covering everything from a chatbot that helps confused customers to bespoke physical devices that look straight out of a sci-fi movie. While several kitchens are experimenting with AI-powered point-of-sale systems, like this self-checkout station at Dartmouth Tuck School of Business, the most promising AI technologies for food service management are behind the counter.
These technologies go through reams of data around supply chains, ingredient information, and food preferences far faster than any human could, and surface insights and suggestions that can improve operations while saving significant time.
How AI tames supply chains
Modern supply chains are long, unwieldy, and can be difficult to understand – and that goes double for ingredients, which have a host of unique concerns around freshness, exposure to allergens, and potential recalls and contamination to manage. Getting real-time information on where your ingredients are has never been more important, but it’s also becoming increasingly expensive and unaffordable for food service management teams to actually manage, especially in hard-hit industries like college and university dining.
AI-powered supply chain platforms provide an enticing solution. These systems automate tedious, but vital, processes around taking inventory, demand forecasting, and order fulfillment, making sure you have the information you need while freeing up valuable time. Some systems go a step further, using AI’s ability to analyze and recognize images to allow tracking of individual items throughout their journey in the supply chain, which could potentially avoid food waste and improve traceability.
How AI charms customers
Many dining room customers might say they’ve encountered dining AI in the form of support for reservations or ordering, but food service operations making the best use of the technology have likely introduced AI to customers long before that step. The same technology that can track products in a supply chain can also provide nutritional or caloric information about meals by analyzing images and ingredients, which can inform both customer purchases and how kitchens build and label their menus.
However, this capability is just scratching the surface – AI that analyzes data to track customer preferences and habits can enable a far more personalized experience for customers by providing targeted offers or recommended orders.
Leverage AI with Culinary Digital
We know how important providing a solid customer experience and smooth, seamless back-end management is to successful food service management. That’s why we built a platform that delivers across industries with tailor-made features to fit your needs. Starting in 2025, we’re rolling out FD Ryze AI to enable even more time savings, personalization, and satisfaction for you and your customers.
Want to learn more? Start a conversation today to see how Culinary Digital and FD Ryze AI can help you meet your goals.
