Dive Brief:
- Zaxbys has partnered with Berry AI to deploy camera timers at its drive-thrus across its 970-unit system, the companies said in a Monday press release.
- The technology uses cameras to measure various metrics like speed of service and line abandonment, the press release said. Restaurants can use the data to find bottlenecks and make real-time decisions.
- This technology will help boost drive-thru times, especially as the chain expands into new format types like drive-thru-only locations and to-go-only units.
Dive Insight:
Zaxbys joins a growing list of QSRs that are leaning into drive-thru artificial intelligence. Portillo’s is testing computer vision across its system and shaved 15 seconds off its drive-thru times as of January, with the goal of improving speed of service by 45 more seconds. Other chains, like Wendy’s, Church’s Texas Chicken and Bojangles, are using voice automation to help free up workers from order-taking tasks.
The camera timers will be an upgrade from the traditional loop timer that the chain used in the past that didn’t provide a live view of the drive-thru. Berry AI claims that its camera timers understand pre-menu queue times, drive-offs and the number of cars in a queue. Operators can use data from its camera system to prepare food in advance, adjust employee positioning and help managers identify stores that can be improved.
The camera timers could help the chain boost drive-thru sales across its system as it grows in Maryland, New Jersey and soon Pennsylvania. This technology also builds on the chain’s ongoing strategy to boost its digital engagement with guests. Last year it hired a chief digital officer and created an e-commerce division to boost its loyalty and e-commerce initiatives.
