Applebee’s and IHOP have plans for AI

Applebee’s and IHOP program to motorboat an AI-powered “personalization engine” that could assistance its restaurants supply recommendations and customized deals, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The personalization motor would usage a customer’s past purchases — oregon the orders of customers akin to them — to marque recommendations.

Justin Skelton, the main accusation serviceman astatine the restaurants’ genitor company, Dine Brands, tells the Journal that an AI-powered personalization strategy would beryllium designed to boost lawsuit loyalty, arsenic good arsenic service arsenic a mode to upsell products. As noted by the Journal, IHOP already has immoderate accusation astir its customers’ ordering habits done its rewards program.

Instead of chasing viral trends similar Chili’s, different edifice franchises person hopped connected the AI bandwagon arsenic well, with Wendy’s deploying an AI chatbot astatine its drive-thrus that tin instrumentality orders and adjacent upsell paper items. McDonald’s also precocious resumed plans to enactment AI at the drive-thru and wrong its restaurants, portion Taco Bell revealed plans to enactment “Voice AI” exertion astatine much than 100 of its drive-thrus crossed the US.

As noted by the Journal, Dine Brands is considering rolling retired AI tools designed for unit members arsenic well. Along with exploring the usage of AI-powered cameras to observe erstwhile a array needs cleaning, it’s besides investigating an AI app for managers.