Imagine ordering food delivery from an app and then 20 minutes later, hearing a buzzing drone outside your home. The drone deposits your order into a smart mailbox that keeps your dinner at the perfect temperature until you retrieve it.
This scenario might sound like something from a science-fiction movie, but according to Arrive AI, an AI-driven delivery platform that recently completed its initial public offering, this technology is on the horizon. The company claims its patented technology could compete with Amazon in the delivery space.
Besides the launch of Arrive AI on the public market, this month, Crunchtime and QSR Automation merged to form one super-restaurant tech company, DoorDash bowed out of the voice AI market, and more.
Tech Tracker rounds up what’s happening in the technology sector of the restaurant industry, including news from restaurants, vendors, digital platforms, and third-party delivery companies. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know and why:
Arrive AI files patents and announces IPO
Arrive AI is an autonomous delivery network that uses a series of temperature-controlled smart mailboxes called “Arrive Points” to anchor food and package delivery by a network of drones, robots, and humans. The company’s asynchronous delivery technology means the recipient doesn’t have to be present when the package arrives.
The emerging tech company has secured eight U.S. patents, with six more pending, after more than a decade of development. In 2014, Arrive AI filed for patent protection for its smart mailboxes just four days before Amazon did, eventually securing its first patent in 2017. The company recently went public with its direct listing on Nasdaq under the symbol ARAI.
“We’re disrupting the mailbox for the first time since 1858 — you’ve got smart houses, computers, smart cars, but the mailbox has yet to catch up,” Dan O’Toole, CEO and founder of Arrive AI, said. “We’re creating a frictionless marketplace opportunity for reducing the friction between people, robots, and drones. … If DoorDash is dropping off your food, we have a heated and cooled cargo area, so your item can remain warm. You’ll get a notification, and it’ll be there when you get there.”
Arrive AI has already worked with DoorDash and Uber Eats to complete food delivery orders. Customers that subscribe to the service can give Uber or DoorDash their Arrive Point coordinates, and when the item arrives, it might be handled via human, drone, or robot. The company’s long-term goal is fully autonomous package handling.
Currently, Arrive AI generates revenue primarily through its Arrive Points subscription model, but it is also developing a marketplace similar to DoorDash or Uber Eats, complete with surge pricing and similar delivery cost structures.
Crunchtime and QSR Automations merge
Crunchtime and QSR Automations announced that the companies have merged to become QSR Automations by Crunchtime. The combined organization now serves more than 800 restaurant brands across more than 150,000 locations in over 100 countries globally.
This merger is just one of many consolidations announced in the foodservice tech space in recent years as the industry evolves and competition intensifies.
As a unified company, QSR Automations by Crunchtime now provides a more comprehensive end-to-end tech service for operators, spanning back-of-house operations to front-of-house guest management services.
Crunchtime’s CEO, John Raguin, will lead the combined organization.
“QSR’s kitchen display technology is a natural fit with Crunchtime’s operations management solutions,” Raguin said in a statement. “We believe that QSR’s ability to drive efficient order flow with proper routing and timing, combined with Crunchtime’s inventory forecasting and prep management – leveraging data insights across the entire restaurant workflow – will directly impact speed and quality of service for our customers.”
DoorDash ends Voice AI trial
Although voice AI is one of the most active spaces in foodservice technology right now, DoorDash is tapping out of the game. The company’s voice ordering product launched less than two years ago, and as originally reported by Bloomberg, the company has now sunsetted those features.
“We have a high bar for continued investment and remain guided by what customers and data tell us,” a DoorDash spokesperson told Nation’s Restaurant News. “We scale or wind down initiatives based on many factors, including product-market fit, customer demand, and other factors. We have developed proprietary technology and learnings from this pilot, and we’re excited to deploy it through a number of other customer use cases.”
Giftify acquires Takeout7 or TakeOut7?
In other technology consolidation news, rewards program leader Giftify — the owner and operator of CardCash.com and Restaurant.com — has acquired ordering solutions company Takeout7 and its AI marketing platform, Platr.
“This strategic acquisition represents a significant expansion of our technology platform and market reach within the restaurant industry,” Ketan Thakker, CEO of Giftly, said. “By combining TakeOut7’s proven ordering technology with Platr’s AI-powered marketing solutions, we’re creating a comprehensive ecosystem that serves independent restaurants’ most critical operational needs while enhancing our value proposition to Restaurant.com partners.”
1Huddle launches real-time staff training games
Tech company 1Huddle has launched an AI skills agent that provides training games for staff in real time based on current POS data.
These short, high-speed games are designed to foster friendly competition among staff and drive operational results. 1Huddle connects to the POS system via direct integration or offline feed and then automatically scans sales data to create relevant games.
“Let’s say Thursday night liquor sales tank at one location, or servers start missing upsell cues,” 1Huddle CEO Sam Caucci said. “The AI sees that in real time and creates or activates a game to the team before their next shift.”
Next Robot debuts ‘Al Dente’ pasta-making robot
First, Next Robot came out with Robby the stir-fry robot, and now the automation company has debuted Al Dente, the pasta-making robot. The robot is powered by ChefSight and is an all-in-one modular system featuring a self-stirring robot and stovetop.
Every recipe is programmed into the robot step-by-step with a chef, and the robot can then replicate those cooking steps on its own with precision.
Once a recipe is loaded, the robot handles the heating, stirring, sauce dispensing, and pot movement. It also relies on real-time feedback (like texture and moisture) during the cooking process instead of just timing.
SpotOn announces AI-powered Profit Assist tool
Software company SpotOn announced the launch of the industry’s first AI-powered profit and loss analysis software. SpotOn Profit Assist analyzes data in popular accounting platforms like QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Restaurant 365 to identify anomalies, trends, and opportunities for operators to save money.
For restaurant chains, the tool can cross-reference and compare across locations, and for independent restaurants, it can compare data to similar operators. The company claims that, on average, this new feature saves operators 4.3% in total costs.
“It’s like having a financial adviser built into my POS,” Khara Mangiduyos, owner of Kalei’s Kitchenette in San Diego, Calif.. said. “I don’t have to wait until the end of the month — I get real-time insights that help me make smarter decisions every single day.”
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