Dive Brief:
- Beef O’ Brady’s, which has 140 locations across 21 states, has partnered with SoundHound AI to use its voice AI ordering system for phone orders, according to a press release.
- The tech went live this month at more than 30 locations operated by the company, a spokesperson said in an email. It is now available to franchised restaurants.
- Earlier this year, SoundHound partnered with Jersey Mike’s to offer voice AI for phone orders at 50 locations. White Castle also uses its voice AI system at more than 100 drive-thru restaurants.
Dive Insight:
Alongside drive-thru voice AI, restaurant chains have increasingly turned to automation for phone orders despite an initial low adoption rate. The technology can help free up staff from having to answer and take phone orders, decrease the amount of missed calls and more consistently upsell, resulting in larger order sizes. Other companies, like DoorDash, have added automated phone ordering systems for restaurants in recent years.
SoundHound’s automated voice technology is trained on Beef ‘O’ Brady’s menu and can understand human speech, allowing customers to speak naturally. SoundHound claims its system is “highly accurate” and the AI answers 100% of calls, according to the press release. The technology can also answer questions about the menu, provide information on specials and promotions and also address frequently asked questions, like when the stores are open and what allergens are in certain foods, according to the press release.
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s has been incorporating additional technology this year. In April, it partnered with Par Technology to adopt its Menu and Punchh systems for omnichannel ordering and loyalty. Par Menu provides a mobile app and web interface and integrates with third-party delivery marketplace and various point-of-sales systems. Punchh offers various gamification features for loyalty like challenges and more interactive elements to rewarding customers, according to a press release.
