GET A DEMO

AI in Quick-Service Restaurants: Turning Automation into Hospitality

  • accuracy and upsell, AI in QSR, chris incorvati, conversational AI, customer experience, data integration, drive-thru AI, human-in-the-loop, jack's family restaurants, loyalty personalization, operational efficiency, restaurant automation
Learn how Chris Incorvati of Jack’s Family Restaurants uses AI strategy to align technology, data, and hospitality.

Does AI Replace People—or Empower Them?

AI has entered the drive-thru, but not every implementation understands hospitality. Chris Incorvati, CTO at Jack’s Family Restaurants,  frames automation as an assistant, not a replacement. Predictive systems can greet guests, recall preferences, and recommend timely upsells—all while keeping conversation natural.

When AI listens instead of interrupts, efficiency and empathy coexist.

Use Conversation to Build Connection

Guests judge a drive-thru by tone as much as time. AI that mimics authentic speech patterns and adapts to context feels more like a friendly teammate than a script.
 Chris’s rule: if the guest forgets they’re talking to software, the experience is working.

Memory powers that connection. When AI recalls past orders or loyalty signals, each visit feels personal—turning convenience into familiarity.

Keep Humans in the Loop

Automation can handle accuracy checks and prep forecasting, freeing humans for high-value interactions. But humans still make judgment calls, defuse tension, and deliver warmth.
 Jack’s trains crews to work with AI: staff focus on greeting and presentation while systems handle timing and transactions. The partnership shortens lines without shortening smiles.

Let Data Drive Smarter, Not Colder, Service

Behind every AI success story sits good data hygiene. Chris calls data the “untapped ingredient” of restaurant growth. Clean integrations between POS, loyalty, and inventory enable personalization that feels effortless.
 Used ethically, that intelligence strengthens trust and lifetime value.

Key Lessons for QSR Leaders

  • Design AI to enhance, not erase, human touch.
  • Train crews on collaboration, not compliance.
  • Measure success by guest satisfaction, not automation rate.
  • Treat data quality as part of hospitality.

AI becomes profitable when it makes people—and experiences—better.

Explore more Connected Kitchen insights →

Related Links: 

 

Youtube Videos and Shorts: