Gamification has been a buzzword in the restaurant industry for years, typically referring to limited-service restaurants releasing their own mobile games or adding games of chance to a brand’s loyalty app. More recently, this digital marketing strategy has expanded beyond mobile games to new platforms and customer bases.
Devour, a Web3-based food delivery platform that lets customers play games and earn rewards, has officially launched after being in community beta mode since last year. 1Huddle’s tech tools are gamifying restaurant staff training, and the company has also released a generative AI feature that can automatically turn staff training videos and manuals into interactive games. Like the mobile games released by Jimmy John’s, Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, and others, these new and expanding tech platforms have one big goal: to increase customer (or employee) engagement through interactivity.
In other news this month, M&A activity is heating up in the competitive voice AI technology industry, with both Soundhound and ConverseNow announcing acquisitions and the debut of a new tech tool just for cooking burgers at the right temperature every time.
Tech Tracker rounds up what’s happening in tech for the restaurant industry, including news from restaurants, vendors, digital platforms, and third-party delivery companies. Here’s what you need to know and why.
How Devour is gamifying the food delivery industry
Devour is a Web3-based food ordering and engagement company that launched its mobile platform in January 2023. It initially launched its delivery marketplace late last year with its DevourGo VIP membership, which gamifies restaurant loyalty. Last month, DevourGo officially began its national rollout after nearly a year of beta community testing.
DevourGo VIP is the company’s Web3-based loyalty platform where users can earn experience points and level up by ordering food from partner restaurants, sharing their orders on social media, and playing simple video games on the platform (just like a video game). Customers can redeem their DPAY reward points for merchandise and bigger prizes like an Oculus, drones, and vacations. DevourGo also offers loot boxes and restaurant rewards filled with virtual prizes on the blockchain, and has announced a cryptocurrency partnership with Coinbase.
“From a marketplace perspective, it’s similar to DoorDash or Uber Eats, but with gamified loyalty and digital community,” says Shelly Rupel, CEO and co-founder of Devour. “The goal is to get users not just to order, but to come back to the app. We want to give merchants business, but we also want to engage and reward users in a different way.”
There are currently thousands of restaurants nationwide on the Devour platform. It’s free for operators to join, and Devour offers 3-6 months of 0 transaction fees to new restaurants on the platform. After that, there is a flat 10% delivery fee. On the consumer side, they can get a discounted fee by signing up for a VIP pass (similar to DashPass or Uber One).
1Huddle uses AI to gamify restaurant staff training
1Huddle is one of several new technology platforms looking to improve the hospitality employee training experience, which has historically been a low-tech, cumbersome process. While several companies are using AI to digitize and personalize staff training modules, 1Huddle is taking it to the next level with a platform that gamifies the training process.
The platform uses generative AI to automaticallyNew York Staff Training Incorporate videos, manuals, or text into your video game.
“Our AI generates a series of challenging trivia questions based on content provided by brands and is powered by a database of over 178 million restaurant-specific game quizzes,” said Sam Caucci, founder and CEO of 1Huddle. “Our AI-powered games then adapt to each employee who plays them over time, accelerating learning, filling knowledge gaps, increasing retention, and recommending new games to play for restaurant employees with different skills.”
Currently, 1Huddle partners with restaurant operators across the country, including TAO Group, FB Society (Mexican Sugar, Sixty Vines, Haywire, Food Hall), Nathan’s Famous, Dog Haus, bartaco and Bar Louie.
M&A activity on the rise in Voice AI technology
NRN previously reported on ConverseNow’s acquisition of former voice AI competitor Valyant AI, but this mega-merger isn’t the only acquisition news to come out of the buzzworthy voice AI sector: Soundhound announced the acquisition of online ordering platform Allset this month in order to strengthen Soundhound’s position in the voice AI space and “build towards its vision of a voice commerce ecosystem.”
The acquisition will enable Soundhound to add voice AI capabilities to its suite of features anywhere consumers order food delivery via voice technology, including in their car, on their smart TV or on their portable smart device. Soundhound’s current restaurant partners will have full access to Allset’s products and vice versa.
As more operators add voice AI capabilities to drive-thrus, call centers and more, ConverseNow and Soundhound have emerged as two of the most powerful voice AI platforms in the restaurant industry. With these acquisitions, the two tech companies further solidify their reputations in a rapidly shrinking tech industry where smaller foodservice tech companies are being bought by larger players.
Robotics company AniAi unveils AI tool that cooks burgers to perfection
Robotics company Anieye has unveiled a new AI tool with the sole purpose of cooking burgers perfectly and evenly. The new technology is called “Alpha Cloud” and is based on Anieye’s commercial robotic grill, the Alpha Grill.
“Alpha Grill has built-in cameras and sensors that take live photos of each patty to check for doneness, primarily by determining color,” says Jiyong Hwang, marketing manager at AniAi. “These images are then sent to our OS, Alpha Cloud, where AI overlays and analyzes the photos and historical data. Alpha Cloud not only provides real-time data, but also all historical data, giving big brands greater control over their products.”
The product is currently in the testing phase and is being piloted at several American burger brand’s innovation centers, while Alpha Grill is currently rolled out to 15 locations in South Korea.
Aniai recently raised $12 million in a pre-Series A funding round. Alpha Cloud is expected to go live in early 2025.
Lunchbox launches catering platform
Foodservice technology company Lunchbox has announced the launch of Cater, a platform and resource hub for caterers and its first community built on the expanding catering industry, which is expected to nearly double in value by 2032.
More than a technology tool, Cater is more of a digital community providing industry professionals with news, resources and the latest catering updates. Lunchbox is also launching a restaurant industry first, the Catering Council – a directory of experts offering masterclasses and tools to help you succeed in the catering sector.
Cater is an offshoot of Lunchbox Catering, Lunchbox’s catering order management suite.
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