Oliver “Oli” Ostertag, GM of Operator Cloud at PAR Technology, shared examples of harnessing AI to create more engaging customer experiences while driving both efficiency and empathy. From personalized menu suggestions to more human-like interactions, AI has the potential to enhance the customer experience significantly.
“We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to franchisees and restaurant operators to understand their expectations for AI in 2025 and beyond. AI is more than just analytics—there’s a lot more we can do with innovation in this space,” Ostertag said.
Promoting AI as an Empathetic Partner Customers have many dining options and proactively choose one location over another.
“Customers expect AI to enhance their experience. They want to feel seen and understood by the brand,” Ostertag said.
Two key areas showing progress are voice AI and kiosk personalization.
With voice AI, “a lot of innovation is focused on creating interactions that feel human and exude empathy. The next step is integrating a brand ambassador into the AI voice to drive deeper customer engagement,” Ostertag noted. Several brands are experimenting with incorporating their brand personas into these systems.
