Tech Check is a regular column on restaurant technology by Senior Editor Joe Guszkowski. It's also a newsletter.
For many, September evokes apple-picking, college football and a fresh wave of pumpkin-flavored products at grocery stores. But for members of our industry, the unofficial start of fall may also bring to mind POS systems, loyalty strategies and cybersecurity best practices.
That’s because September is when we at Restaurant Business mosey on down to Texas for FSTEC, the annual restaurant technology conference owned and operated by our parent company, Informa plc.
Next Monday through Wednesday, more than 800 operators will converge on the Gaylord Texan Resort outside Dallas to talk (and shop) tech. And the stakes this year are high. Many restaurants are struggling, as illustrated by the ongoing stream of bankruptcy filings in the industry. The right technology may be able to help, but operators have to be smart about where they invest.
FSTEC is an opportunity for restaurants to gather some of the intelligence they need to make those decisions. And maybe they’ll also meet their next star tech vendor. With that in mind, here are three things to look forward to at the show next week.
What can AI do for you?
Operators interested in using artificial intelligence in their business—and at this point, who isn’t?—will find a lot to dive into at FSTEC this year. The only problem is they may need to clone themselves to see all of it.
I counted three general session panels focused on AI and at least seven breakout sessions (known at FSTEC as Innovation Forums) on the topic. They include discussions of how the technology can power marketing, voice ordering, self-service dining and operations. In other words, there's a little something for everyone.
Plus, Monday’s keynote speaker is futurist Mike Walsh, who has made a name for himself helping businesses stay ahead of the curve on emerging technologies. His 2009 book, “Futuretainment,” looked at how smartphones and social media would change the media industry. At FSTEC, he'll be sharing his thoughts on AI.
Let’s get real
While there will be plenty of content about the future of restaurant tech, there are several sessions rooted firmly in the challenges of the here and now.
I'm particularly excited about the Tuesday morning general session panel on cybersecurity, given how common cyberattacks have become and the magnitude of the threat they pose. Tales from the CISO will focus on the role of the chief information security officer—a relatively new job title within restaurant C-suites.
The panelists are Nathan Hunstable from Chuck E. Cheese parent CEC Entertainment and Afia Phillips of Little Caesars Enterprises, who was recently named a top global CISO by Cyber Defense Magazine. Cybersecurity impacts literally everyone at the event, which makes this session a can’t-miss.
There are also a couple of panels that will hone in on how and where restaurants should be spending their tech dollars. A breakout titled Yours, Mine, and Ours: How Restaurant Execs Optimize Tech Investments will advise operators on the very practical matter of how to prioritize tech upgrades.
And I’ll make a shameless plug for the panel I’m co-moderating Monday about whether restaurants should buy their technology or build it themselves. I’ll be sharing the stage with Joanna Fantozzi, my counterpart at Nation’s Restaurant News, and talking to five leaders about why they chose to build and/or buy tech. It should give operators some food for thought before they hit the trade show floor that afternoon.
Saving the best for last
The last day of any conference tends to be light on programming as many attendees get ready to head for the airport. But making an early exit would be a mistake at this year’s FSTEC.
Wednesday’s general session features perhaps three of the best panels at the conference, as well as some of the biggest names.
It starts with a fireside chat between Yum Brands CTO Joe Park and RB Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze. Yum, the parent of Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger, has made major investments in AI to transform its business both in the front- and back-of-house. It promises a glimpse at the cutting-edge of restaurant tech in action.
That’ll be followed by a deep dive on third-party delivery from researchers at Technomic and Intouch Insight. Intouch just did a big secret shopper study on delivery apps, and they’ll be presenting some of their findings alongside supporting data from our friends at Technomic. I have seen the results and can say there are some surprises. Get a sneak peek here.
Then there is a unique panel featuring tech leaders from two of the biggest fast-food chains in the world: Wei Manfredi, VP of global architecture, data and AI at McDonald’s, and Catherine Roberts, director of intelligent automation at Chick-fil-A. (Their job titles alone are cause for excitement.)
Manfredi and Roberts will discuss how their brands are using the very latest in tech, including generative AI and computer vision. They’ll also highlight their roles as female trailblazers in the tech and hospitality industries.
Finally, myself and the rest of the editorial team will close out the week with our observations from the prior three days. Please clap.
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