AI is everywhere we look, so it’s only logical that industry-leading foodservice equipment businesses are using it in their day-to-day operations.
As a commercial catering equipment buying consortium, we’ve witnessed first-hand the possibilities of AI and the opportunities it’s creating within the foodservice equipment industry.
Our article explores these opportunities in more detail.
1. Consistent quality in food production and cooking
Precision cookers and AI-based ovens are giving chefs unprecedented control over the cooking process.
These appliances can analyse numerous data points to uphold food quality and reduce the margin for error.
Anyone who’s worked in the foodservice equipment industry for any length of time knows this isn’t a new phenomenon. Domino’s was using a smart scanner to detect the quality of its pizzas as they came out of the oven way back in 2019.
Whether it’s food safety hazards or errors in a product, AI can identify issues in the food production and cooking process before they escalate.
The vast amount of data from temperature sensors can be analysed by AI-powered systems, which can detect anomalies, identify potential risks, and provide real-time alerts to prevent foodborne illnesses.
In addition, smart ovens containing AI technology can monitor and adjust cooking settings, such as times and temperatures, based on the food being cooked. This not only ensures optimal food quality but also minimises waste and energy consumption.
2. Enhanced inventory management
Anyone who works in the commercial catering industry knows managing inventory is no easy task.
Research has found that 43% of small restaurant chains struggle in this area despite diligently tracking stock levels.
AI removes this headache by automating tasks like order fulfilment, predicting order volumes, and assessing inventory levels.
Furthermore, it can analyse historical sales data and predict future demand based on consumption patterns. As a result, manufacturers are able to ensure they have the right equipment and ingredients in stock.
It can predict when supplies are running low and even suggest ideal product combinations for caterers’ needs.
All of these actions prevent overstocking and understocking and maximise supply chain efficiency.
This is just one example of how AI can streamline the administrative process within commercial kitchens. We’ll explore more examples lower down.
3. Increased sustainability
This benefit ties in with the one above in that preventing overstocking significantly reduces wastage.
Here are some other ways that AI is bringing increased sustainability to the foodservice equipment industry:
- Smart systems can predict which times of day will be busiest within a commercial kitchen and adjust energy consumption accordingly, whether it’s lighting and heating, ventilation, or air conditioning. This means a kitchen’s utility bills are much lower, equipment such as ovens and refrigerators don’t use more power than necessary, and restaurants are more sustainable.
- Smart refrigerators and freezers can predict and adjust to fluctuations in usage patterns and product loads. By doing so, they maintain optimal conditions for food preservation, thereby extending shelf life and reducing waste.
- Cloud-based reporting tools such as the hub developed by Winnow Solutions can track and analyse food waste across entire kitchens. This technology allows staff to gain valuable insights into their food waste patterns and make significant reductions that boost their bottom line — Winnow customers experience a 50% reduction in food waste, on average.
4. Better preventative maintenance
Up until now, there has only really been one form of preventative maintenance within the foodservice equipment industry — to service the equipment and check it at regular intervals. But thanks to AI, operators are able to detect problems much further in advance.
Take nodes as an example. Nodes, which are essentially the “neurons” in an AI system, have already played a massive role in the foodservice equipment industry.
They are used to measure algorithms and monitor power usage. For instance, if a piece of foodservice equipment is drawing more power than it should be, this is a sign that a component within that equipment is about to fail.
So, thanks to AI in the form of nodes, operators are able to catch potentially serious equipment faults in commercial kitchens before they happen. AI is performing preventative maintenance on an unprecedented scale, and this will yield huge cost savings for restaurants and gastropubs.
If a major restaurant chain with a high footfall loses a major piece of equipment that they rely upon during a critical time, this could be worth thousands of pounds per day in lost revenue. That’s probably being conservative with some of the bigger franchises.
But if operators receive a warning that their equipment is potentially going to malfunction way before it does, they can inspect the equipment out of hours when it’s not being used in service and fix the issue much faster than before AI came around.
5. More streamlined customer service and marketing
AI is undoubtedly being used in an administrative capacity. Its uses can vary, whether it’s automating formwork, processing orders, or making bookings.
A lot of the big names in the catering industry could be using AI, but we may not realise it’s AI. For example, you could be speaking to someone on the phone who’s taking a booking, and you think that’s a real person, but it’s not. AI doesn’t sound like a robot anymore — it can sound like a person.
There are also numerous examples of companies within the foodservice equipment industry running ads on LinkedIn that have almost certainly been generated by AI following directives from senior management.
AI continuously scans and learns, which makes marketing activity like social media posts more streamlined and targeted in the long run.
What’s the future of AI in the foodservice equipment industry?
Businesses that grasp AI with both hands will be multiple steps ahead of their competition.
Whilst we’ve plucked out five benefits of AI within the food service equipment industry, in reality, the possibilities are endless.
As we’ve covered in this article, AI will make commercial kitchens more efficient, productive, and ultimately, far more profitable.
If your business is in the foodservice equipment industry and you want to meet forward-thinking people who are embracing AI and can help you boost your bottom line, you’re in the right place.
Enquire about joining our buying consortium today
ENSE comprises a huge network of commercial catering equipment suppliers and distributors. At the time of writing, our share of the UK catering equipment market is around 30%.
These statistics confirm our position as the UK’s premier catering equipment buying consortium and highlight the scale of opportunities available to you.
You’ll unlock bigger margins, more business collaborations among members, and a streamlined supply chain with our cutting-edge network.
Contact us today and discover how you can propel your organisation to new heights.