Yum! Brands on Thursday introduced Byte by Yum!, a new proprietary AI-driven platform that consolidates several essential systems into one powerful tech suite for its entire restaurant group.
The platform comprises online and mobile app ordering, point of sale, kitchen and delivery optimization, menu management, inventory and labor management, and team member tools. KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill use elements of Byte to process more than 300 million digital transactions annually.
Yum! said in a news release that company and franchise stores benefit from digital transaction growth, increased pricing and promotional speed and agility, improved order accuracy and delivery experiences, leading to an overall increase in guest satisfaction, greater forecast accuracy for inventory ordering, and greater team member satisfaction and reduced turnover.
“The technology platform enables easy operations for team members and improved experiences for customers, while consolidating essential systems into a cohesive, easy-to-manage platform,” the company said in a news release. “The implementation of Byte by Yum! will also enable a faster and more impactful adoption of AI by Yum! and its brands. Backed by artificial intelligence, Byte by Yum! offers franchisees leading technology capabilities with advantaged economics made possible by the scale of Yum!”
The innovation is expanding quickly; 25,000 restaurants worldwide use at least one of Byte by Yum!’s products. Taco Bell U.S. uses the integrated online ordering, point of sale, and back-of-house technologies. Pizza Hut U.S. uses the platform’s kitchen system to improve delivery times, reduce wait times in the restaurant, and provide guests with real-time updates of their order location. KFC Global uses the AI restaurant coach to promote operational consistency and restaurant manager efficiency.
The company’s long-term goal is to digitize all transactions. In 2024, digital sales rose 15 percent and now mix more than 50 percent companywide.
Joe Park, Yum!’s chief digital and technology officer, will also serve as president of Byte by Yum!
“As the world’s largest restaurant company, Yum!’s scale allows us to make massive strides in growing our proprietary digital and AI-driven platform in partnership with franchisees,” Park said in a statement. “We are thrilled to take this important next step to simplify and further integrate our industry-leading restaurant technologies under Byte by Yum!. Moving forward, we are focused on enhancing Byte by Yum! and the capabilities this streamlined approach unlocks for team members, franchisees and customers.”
Yum! has acquired and developed technology capabilities over the years (i.e. Ticktuk Technologies, Dragontail Systems), but with Byte by Yum!, the company is phasing out legacy names and branding—like Poseidon, Yum! Commerce Platform, Tracks, and SuperApp—and housing it all under Byte by Yum!.
In the fourth quarter, KFC and Pizza Hut’s U.S. same-store sales fell 5 and 2 percent, respectively. Taco Bell’s comps lifted 5 percent while Habit Burger’s numbers were flat.
