While return-to-office policies and the overall strengthening of the labor market provide opportunities for convenient dining, consumer confidence continues to teeter. Though it’s been a challenging year with multiple headwinds—including inconsistent customer traffic—QSRs are cautiously optimistic and resilient in their approaches to running successful operations in 2025.
QSRs need to be ready for anything. That means they need to have the right systems in place to scale with demand while also winning over consumers who seek value-based and experiential dining experiences. QSRs walk a fine line in needing to be a comfortable choice that is always ready to meet demand, while also appealing to multiple generations of buyers and consumers who want different dietary options.
Where are QSRs turning for support in these challenging times? Technology continues to enable innovative ways to operate more efficiently while boosting customer satisfaction. From the integration and configuration of systems that boost efficiency, to elevating the customer and worker experience, to overcoming labor and food challenges, the latest tech-driven solutions can help restaurants win in the margins.
AI Offers Potential to Win in the Margins, Augmenting Current Systems
Nearly every conversation we have with our QSR customers and prospects involves AI and other advanced, integrated technologies. Most restaurants have the same goal: improving the customer and worker experience. Not to mention how AI can be deployed strategically to navigate labor and supply chain challenges by augmenting tasks and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of QSR operations.
Early attempts at integrating AI and automated bot capabilities in the drive-thru have been met with mixed reviews, but we’re seeing better return on investment by integrating AI in other areas. For example, AI integrations into headsets and communication systems can improve the speed and accuracy of orders by eliminating ambient noise, improving voice clarity, and even transcribing orders. Improving speed and accuracy are long-standing, proven ways to increase customer satisfaction.
AI can also be used to help businesses personalize experiences and get closer to real-time menu offerings. It can improve content management and—through both creation and analytics—deliver real-time content updates. When connected to the back of the store and to the kiosks and POS terminals taking orders, the latest solutions also ensure that menu offerings align with diners’ needs and can be fulfilled by the business.
Consumer Preferences and Food Choices Pressure Operations—and Present Opportunities
When it comes to the food itself, consumers have never been more diverse in their expectations from QSRs. Across the quick-serve and fast-food spectrum, demands range from low-calorie, high-protein snacks, to dietary-specific orders for gluten or dairy intolerance, to traditional, feel-good foods.
In addition to putting pressure on QSRs to maintain food inventory and a wider selection of items, this growing range of expectations requires new levels of communication with consumers regarding choice and availability. For example, if an item becomes unavailable or sold out, the use of digital menu boards can help convey which choices are actually available to consumers when ordering.
As QSRs look to win diners over and immerse them in the restaurant experience, delivering on choice will be paramount. The most effective way to communicate choice and availability to consumers is to go beyond merely pinging phones via an app or email. Other touchpoints, such as self-serve kiosks, and other signage applications in and around the restaurant, present opportunities for QSRs to reach the customer more efficiently. Using these systems, information like allergens and calorie counts can be displayed publicly – and, in the case of a kiosk, privately. By keeping multiple touchpoints updated with real-time information, the latest tech-driven solutions can improve the customer experience and ensure that the information relayed to consumers is accurate and consistent.
Diner Expectations on Reliability, Consistency, and Trust Continue to Skyrocket
Every brand touchpoint is critical to a QSR’s performance and reputation. With the emergence of smartphone-enabled dining and other order-ahead capabilities, diners’ expectations continue to skyrocket. When a QSR has outdated touchpoints, it can leave a sour taste with customers and are counter to the fast, effective, and personalized experience they seek. All it takes is one bad experience—be it with poor drive-thru audio or an outdated menu board—to keep a customer from returning.
Technology within the store must work easily and effectively. Operations must be seamless, and dining experiences must be high quality. New technology is helping employees deliver on enhancing the customer experience. Upgrading technology to AI-powered kiosks, for example, can increase personalization, leading to a more enhanced experience for the customer.
We’re also hearing more and more from our QSR customers that service, support, quality, reliability, and overall total cost of ownership are critically important. There are a number of auxiliary technologies and services that not enough businesses know about that can deliver near- and long-term value —including call center support, on-site repairs and replacements, and even application development.
Looking at the Bigger Picture Leads to Successful Technology Deployment
The most effective QSR transformations stem from conversation rooted in overcoming customer challenges. Where possible, engage a trusted partner in a broader conversation to discuss the overall operational and business challenges you’re looking to solve.
Whether installing reliable content management systems for signage uptime, integrating AI-powered audio and kiosks to support peak order times, or investing in back-end software and analytics to make business decisions with speed, the promise of connected and nimble quick-serve restaurants is closer than it seems.
Michelle Connolly is a seasoned sales leader with over 28 years of experience in the electronics industry, currently serving as Director of Sales at Panasonic North America. Throughout her career, Michelle has demonstrated a consistent ability to drive growth, lead high-performing teams, and develop innovative go-to-market strategies across multiple verticals—including education, transportation, logistics, food Service and retail.
Michelle’s leadership has been instrumental in launching and scaling new business units, such as Panasonic Education, where she led a startup team to generate $40 million in revenue within three years. She also spearheaded the development of a $200 million pipeline in a new vertical, showcasing her strategic vision and execution. Known for her collaborative spirit and “can-do” attitude, Michelle excels in building strong customer relationships, managing complex projects, and mentoring future leaders. Her specialties include sales leadership, channel and distribution management and solution development. Michelle is passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems and is a trusted voice in the technology space.
