AI
Fazoli's exploring AI ordering at drive-thru
Doug Bostick, president of Fazoli’s, is testing drive-thru voice AI in 12 company restaurants.
July 25, 2023 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com
Although Fazoli's, a 220-unit fast casual brand specializing in Italian food, has always operated with drive-thrus, the Kentucky-based chain began relying on them more heavily during COVID-19 and is still assessing how to improve the customer experience, according to President Doug Bostick, who said AI may be the answer.
"There is no other fast casual Italian chain concept in the market that can deliver high-quality, made-to-order Italian classics to customers all from the convenience of their cars," he said during an email interview with FastCasual.
Nearly 42% of the chain's transactions are completed at drive-thrus, which is a jump from its pre-COVID transactions of about 30-35% but much lower than the days of social distancing.
"During COVID, we were up to 85-90% of transactions with the balance of sales coming via third-party delivery," Bostick said. "We have been able to maintain a higher percentage of transactions via the drive-thru (when looking at pre-COVID numbers) as a result of our consistent operations and continued focus on promoting our value and convenience messaging to our core consumers, in particular, busy moms and dads. Nothing beats a customized family meal that you can wait for in the comfort of your car after a long day"
During COVID, the chain invested in upgrading technology to support the increase in demand.
"We quickly revamped our drive-thru training procedures along with employee deployment standards to focus 100% on drive-thru execution," Bostick said. "We upgraded our speakers, headsets and timer monitoring systems to state-of-the-art HME hardware and software. Additionally, we tested and deployed outside order-taking tablets that allowed us to send orders into the kitchen more efficiently, which, in turn, helped move cars through the drive-thru lane faster. While no one could have anticipated COVID, we understand the importance of technology to remain competitive in the space, so a lot of these advancements were already being evaluated to further enhance our drive-thru experience."
Although COVID isn't much of an issue these days, the chain is still focused on order accuracy and speed.
"While we pride ourselves on providing fast service, it defeats the purpose if the order is incorrect," Bostick said. "While it sounds simplistic in nature, the basics are a key formula to the success of the drive-thru model."
Fazoli's is always assessing the latest technologies, said Bostick, which is why the brand is testing drive-thru voice AI in 12 company restaurants.
"AI has become a hot topic in the space recently, he said. "AI is a great supplement to our employees during busy time periods; however, we never foresee the technology taking the place of that personal human connection, as, after all, that is how we have become so beloved all of these years — with welcoming and friendly employees."
FAT Brands, which owns 17 restaurant concepts, purchased Fazoli's in 2021 for $130 million.
About Cherryh Cansler
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