One fast-casual chain is accelerating. Panera is introducing another innovation less than a year after showing its "next-generation" restaurant prototype.
Customers may order from Tori at the drive-thru speaker. Panera staff will collect orders and payments as required.
The business says the new ordering system will minimise wait times, improve order accuracy, and allow personnel focus on meal preparation.
We're excited to test AI drive-thru technology and maybe spread it to other bakery-cafes.
Tori is one of Panera's recent tech-forward efforts. Panera To-Go launched on Chicago's North Side in June. Three more stores are planned for D.C. and California.
Two Panera locations will test Miso Robotics' CookRight Coffee Technology, which utilises AI to control coffee volume, temperature, brewing time, and customer demand.
Voice ordering isn't exclusive to Panera. McDonald's began testing speech recognition in Chicago in 2021.
McDonald's hasn't said if this technology would be rolled out nationally, but restaurant industry expert may be ready for wider deployment later this year.
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