Summer is coming to a close and fall conference season is upon us, including the return of FSTEC: the three-day foodservice technology conference, taking place this year in Grapevine, Texas, from September 16-18. In 2024, there has never been a more exciting (or challenging) time to master the art of the ideal tech stack or balance hospitality with digitally enhanced speed of service.

It seems like the food tech industry is growing and shrinking at the same time, as some of the smaller brands are bought out through mergers and acquisitions and new solutions emerge every day trying to become the next big trend in the digital ecosphere of foodservice.

Related: Virtual Dining Concepts’ Linked Eats acquires Sauce Technologies

This year, amidst the hustle and bustle of technology news and activity, Informa’s FSTEC conference will tackle tough questions like: “Should I partner with technology vendors or try to build my own technology stack?”, “How do I protect my data?” and “How do I get started with voice AI?”

In other tech news this month, Microsoft announced a partnership with capacity management software solution Curbit, DoorDash introduced in-app happy hour promo offers that operators can activate to woo price-conscious consumers, and more.

Related: Tech Tracker: Foodservice technology now makes everything a game

Tech Tracker rounds up what’s happening in the restaurant industry’s technology sector, including news from restaurants, vendors, digital platforms and third-party delivery companies. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know and why:

A preview of FSTEC 2024

The biggest event in restaurant technology is back. This year, in one of the can’t-miss sessions at FSTEC, restaurant operators will go head-to-head and have a friendly debate about whether they should “buy” their tech stack (work with outside vendors) or “build” it themselves, as more and more operators are considering. The DIY tech trend started in earnest last year, when brands like Wingstop and Yum Brands made the switch.

Going forward, we expect many restaurant companies will choose a bit of both: Partnerships with technology vendors will likely continue to dominate, but with a mix of in-house, custom solutions that can solve problems that off-the-shelf technology can’t. This “buy vs. build” discussion will take place on the first day of FSTEC on September 16, and will include insights from executives at Papa John’s, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, Dine Brands, and Potbelly. They’ll discuss the pros and cons of both options, while also exploring how even emerging brands can build in-house software (like seven-store Jeff’s Bagel Run, which built a technology stack from scratch because there were no solutions specifically for bagel shops).

Beyond the question of building or buying a tech stack, some of the upcoming highlights of FSTEC this year include:

• Opening keynote by futurist Mike Walsh, who will speak about the hot topic of AI and how companies should future-proof their organizations instead of feeling overwhelmed by the avalanche of AI solutions.
• A conversation with Little Caesars’ Chief Information Security Officer discussing why operators should make data security and safety a top priority, a topic that has become a hot topic thanks to high-profile security incidents at companies like Panera.
• A fireside chat with Yum Brands’ Chief Digital and Technology Officer who talks about how Yum is leading the digital ecosystem, including the development of its proprietary POS system, Poseidon.

Curbit announces partnership with Microsoft

Curbit.ai, the foodservice technology company specializing in capacity management solutions, announced a new partnership with Microsoft this month. The collaboration grew out of Curbit CEO Fran Dougherty’s long career at Microsoft, where he helped build out the Microsoft Azure platform.

Through this partnership, Microsoft can analytically extend Curbit’s product suite and provide digital infrastructure and real-time AI capabilities to improve the software’s service analytics, real-time order history, and kitchen performance and guest sentiment analytics.

“Broadly integrating with Microsoft’s global infrastructure and enterprise footprint was the logical next step in our evolution,” Dougherty said in a statement. “As we continue to innovate and advance our technology, our collaboration represents a critical step in realizing our vision to power 100,000 restaurants by 2027.”

This is part of a current trend in hospitality technology solutions, with more and more SaaS companies shifting their focus to real-time analytics that can provide operators with data and suggestions immediately, rather than providing them after the fact via reports and dashboards.

DoorDash introduces happy hour and lunch deals for operators

DoorDash has announced its latest feature for operators aimed at countering the weak consumer environment, especially during off-peak hours. The new products are lunch deals and happy hour promotions, which restaurants can turn on and off and customize during quieter times of the day, such as lunchtime and late afternoon.

For lunch specials, operators can select specific items to be included in the promotion between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. They can also schedule happy hour discounts for the period from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“The revenue generated during these hours helps us offset our labor costs while keeping our team members engaged during what are normally quiet times of the day,” Clinton Gray III, co-founder and chief brand officer at Slim & Husky’s, said in a statement. “It’s a great strategy for community-based businesses seeking new customers, and it results in increased revenue week after week.”

Flybuy introduces Course Correct to avoid pickup errors

Another technology trend NRN has noticed is the rise of hyper-specific technology products that attempt to fix problems caused by omnichannel technology. Flybuy is a technology company that specializes in curbside pickup solutions and just launched Course Correct: a feature that informs customers if and when they are going to the wrong restaurant location to pick up their order.

Course Correct uses advanced tracking technology and AI to detect when a customer who ordered through a digital channel is heading in the wrong direction.

While this may be a niche issue, it’s more common than you might think, according to Five Guys. The company is using this technology to make the pickup experience easier and faster for its customers:

“After implementing Flybuy’s Course Correct at all 1,495 Five Guys locations, we dramatically improved our pickup process and customer experience,” Steve Teller, vice president of digital strategy at Five Guys, told NRN. “By proactively identifying and redirecting customers to the correct location, we reduced incorrect location errors by 60%.”

First delivery robot with generative AI hits the streets

While there are already many delivery robots, including from companies like Nuro, Kiwibot, and Refraction AI, Vayu Robotics stands out from the crowd as the first generative artificial intelligence-based delivery robot designed for the streets, not just the sidewalk.

Vayu is based in San Francisco and closed a $12.7 million funding round from Khosla Ventures last year. The technology is based on a basic AI model (the building blocks of generative AI: Chat-GPT is an example) and works with low-cost passive sensors instead of expensive software. The technology can also drive on roads completely autonomously, without being controlled by an external operator and without the need for prior road mapping.

With its unique model, Vayu hopes to make autonomous delivery vehicles more affordable for operators:

“The unique technologies we have developed at Vayu have enabled us to solve problems that have plagued delivery robots for the past decade and finally create a solution that can actually be deployed at scale, enabling the cost-effective transport of goods anywhere,” Anand Gopalan, CEO of Vayu Robotics, said this in a statement.