From Tacos to Tech: AI Gets on the Menu at Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands, owner of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, and The Habit Burger Grill, is pushing forward with “AI-powered” fast food initiatives. The company sees AI as a tool to streamline various aspects of restaurant operations.

A significant motivation behind this is rising labor costs, such as California’s new minimum wage law. Digital sales have also doubled since 2019, fueling investment in technology for Yum! Brands.

Specific AI Applications:

• SuperApp: This mobile app for managers currently helps with purchasing ingredients and setting employee shifts. Yum! Brands is testing generative AI to answer operational questions, and considering augmented reality to help train workers.
• Future potential: The company’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer envisions AI playing a significant role throughout the restaurant experience, though concrete plans for Taco Bell remain unspecified.

These investments are partially covered by franchise owner fees, though the exact amount is undisclosed.