Wendy’s and Google Cloud announced an expanded partnership to pilot a groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) solution, Wendy’s FreshAI, designed to revolutionize the quick service restaurant industry.
The technology has the potential to transform Wendy’s drive-thru food ordering experience with Google Cloud’s generative AI and large language models (LLMs) technology.
With 75 to 80 percent of Wendy’s customers choosing the drive-thru as their preferred ordering channel, delivering a seamless ordering experience using AI automation can be difficult due to the complexities of menu options, special requests, and ambient noise.
For example, because customers can fully customize their orders and food is prepared when ordered at Wendy’s, this presents billions of possible order combinations available on Wendy’s menu, leaving room for miscommunication or incorrect orders.
Google Cloud’s generative AI capabilities can now bring a new automated ordering experience to the drive-thru that is intended to enhance the experience that customers, employees, and franchisees expect from Wendy’s.
In June, Wendy’s plans to launch its first pilot of Google Cloud’s AI technology in a Columbus, OH-area, Company-operated restaurant, using those learnings to inform future expansions to more Wendy’s drive-thrus.
The pilot will include new generative AI offerings, such as Vertex AI and more, to have conversations with customers, the ability to understand made-to-order requests, and generate responses to frequently asked questions.
This will all be powered by Google’s foundational LLMs that have the data from Wendy’s menu, established business rules and logic for conversation guardrails, and integration with restaurant hardware and the Point of Sale system.
By leveraging generative AI, Wendy’s seeks to take the complexity out of the ordering process so employees can focus on serving up fast, fresh-made, quality food and exceptional service.
The update builds upon Google Cloud’s and Wendy’s long-standing partnership to enhance Wendy’s restaurant experience.
Since 2021, Wendy’s has leveraged Google Cloud’s data analytics, AI, machine learning (ML), and hybrid cloud tools to make it faster, easier, and more convenient for customers to access the brand.