Ki takes on important roles in more and more restaurants

Ki takes on important roles in more and more restaurants

San Franciscso, 6/9/2022.

Panera Bread is testing AI voice ordering technology at two locations in New York state. The drive-thru voice assistant, called Tori, was developed by AI startup OpenCity.

Panera has rolled out the test software at drive-thrus in Greece, N.Y., and Webster, N.Y. The technology takes customer orders and integrates kitchen display and POS systems.

The results of the pilot will help Panera decide whether to expand Tori to additional locations.

OpenCity’s technology has also been used at a Popeyes store in Louisiana and at other restaurants. The startup has raised $6.82 million so far at a valuation of $26.8 million.

Panera has been testing an AI-driven automated coffee system from Miso Robotics at two of its restaurants this year. Called CookRight Coffee, the system combines predictive analytics with data to tell employees when the best time is to brew more coffee.