Key stat: 41% of US restaurant operators are planning to use AI for sales forecasting and scheduling, while 33% are using the tech for personalized marketing, according to December 2023 data from Restaurant365.

Beyond the chart:

• Food inflation and labor shortages have caused uncertainty for restaurants. Restaurants need to find ways to provide value by enhancing customer experience, even as prices rise.
• AI can help provide that value and improve loyalty. For example, Starbucks leverages its proprietary data analytics and AI tools to “identify and incentivize specific rewards members cohorts,” according to CEO Laxman Narasimhan, as noted in our Restaurant Digitization 2024 report.
• Restaurants are less likely to use AI in the kitchen or at the point of sale, likely because the technology can be expensive and requires staff training.

Use this chart:

• Consider how AI can be used to drive loyalty.
• Compare your AI strategies to the results.

More like this:

• 5 key stats on how consumers are dining and what it means for retailers
• AI and unified commerce: two technologies boosting restaurant loyalty
• Starbucks, Yum Brands, McDonald’s see similar trend in their latest results: cautious consumer spending
• Restaurant Digitization 2024 (EMARKETER subscription required)