Wendy’s and Google have struck a deal to use data analytics and artificial intelligence to remind cooks when to flip burgers — as well as to track repeat customers, among other tasks.
The partnership will “unlock new customer, restaurant, and employee experiences,” the companies said Tuesday.
Google’s technology is capable of monitoring grills and reminding cooks when to flip burgers, Wendy’s chief information officer Kevin Vasconi told the Wall Street Journal.
The system will also use video cameras to monitor how long lines are at drive-through windows, telling cooks to throw another basket of French fries into the frier if things are getting busy, Vasconi said.
In addition to making Wendy’s kitchens more efficient, Google’s technology will also streamline the ordering process for customers, according to the companies.
For example, Wendy’s plans to use voice recognition software to transcribe customers’ orders into text for cooks and servers. That will lead to quicker and more accurate orders, Vasconi told the Journal.
The technology can also be used to track repeat customers and suggest their favorite meals when they return, the paper reported.
“It’s about unlocking that customer data to be more convenient,” Vasconi said.
Wendy’s and Google did not disclose the terms of the deal. Wendy’s will also have access to Google tools including BigQuery and Looker, which help companies organize business data and identify trends.
Through BigQuery, Wendy’s will be able to identify how factors like social media posts, marketing and even the weather affect sales.
For example, Wendy’s could track how the temperature outside correlates with demand for ice cream, according to the Journal.
