Technology

Taco John's tests AI drive-thru ordering with Presto Automation, Qu

Photo: Adobe Stock

June 4, 2024

Taco John's has partnered with Presto Automation Inc., a provider of AI and automation technology for restaurants, and Qu to pilot a voice-based drive-thru ordering system called Presto Voice at select Taco John's locations, according to a press release.

Presto Voice aims to improve efficiency and customer experience by automating order taking. This frees up staff to focus on other tasks and potentially reduces labor costs. The system can also suggest upsells to boost revenue.

"Taco John's and Qu have been exceptional partners for Presto because they understand that the technology behind Presto Voice can be seamlessly coupled with a restaurant's existing technology stack to drive operational efficiencies and improve the guest experience," Gee Lefevre, Interim CEO at Presto, said in the press release.

The initial pilot launched in April 2024 at a Taco John's location in Minnesota. Positive results have led to a planned expansion to a second location in Wyoming, Taco John's home state, by August 2024.

"Preliminary test results have been very positive," Ryan Baune, VP for technology at Taco John's, added in the press release. "We are seeing improvements around speed of service, order accuracy, and an increase in average ticket size primarily driven by upsell attachment."

Taco John's plans to integrate Presto Voice further into its technology roadmap. The collaboration with Presto and Qu allows for real-time order display on kitchen screens directly from the voice assistant.

"As Taco John's looks to the future, Presto Voice is a natural fit to our technology roadmap. Presto and Qu's development during this process has unlocked the ability for orders being taken by the Voice AI assistant to show up in real-time on the kitchen screens," Steve Smyth, director of restaurant technology at Taco John's, said in the press release.

"Qu is designed from the ground up to support robust, bi-directional, AI-powered integrations, meeting the stringent speed and customer experience requirements necessary for a first-class voice AI solution like Presto Voice," Brian Crum, VP of product at Qu, noted. "The pilot phase with Taco John's showcases how our collaborative efforts delivered an integrated and scalable solution. By enabling Voice AI natively within Qu's unified commerce platform, we eliminate the need for bolt-on or redundant interfaces, seamlessly incorporating AI into the order-taking and making process. We are thrilled to see this development come to life, enabling Taco John's to leverage the benefits of AI in their restaurants."

Taco John's has nearly 400 franchised and operated restaurants in 23 states. Following the pilot phase, Taco John's intends to expand Presto Voice to franchised locations later this year.

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Qu

Qu is the restaurant technology company evolving POS, responsibly, for a more sustainable future. With the industry’s first unified commerce platform, Qu’s fully integrated products go beyond fragmented ordering and tech experiences to create healthier connections for restaurant operating teams and their many stakeholders.

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