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Technology had a huge presence at the 2024 National Restaurant Show in Chicago, from May 18 – 21. AI, robotic solutions, autonomous ordering, restaurant management innovations, back-of-house innovations, and new sustainability offerings were everywhere across the enormous conference halls.
Turnout for all four days broke new records:
SoundHound AI’s booth featured a throwback neon-lit, Dynamic Drive-Thru sign that was instantly visible and drew thousands of attendees to the SoundHound booth.
The booth featured demos of our newest restaurant product offerings and ongoing discussions with restaurant owners, franchise owners, QSR leadership, partners, and more.
Ben Bellettini, Vice President of Sales, Restaurants at SoundHound, noted that voice AI was reaching a tipping point, as he saw more excitement than he’s ever seen before.
“There was an overwhelming magnetism to our technology and innovation. Folks were consistently surprised by the lack of latency and overall accuracy after engaging with our demo environments. With exceptional demand, partners and brands appear ever eager to integrate and scale SoundHound’s market leading AI solutions.”
“There was an overwhelming magnetism to our technology and innovation. Folks were consistently surprised by the lack of latency and overall accuracy after engaging with our demo environments.”
Ben Bellettini, Vice President of Sales, Restaurants at SoundHound
The innovative “SayhitoAI” campaign was incredibly popular, with our ai-themed t-shirts selling out within hours.
Amid all the activity, we noted these key trends:
Every type of display was on-hand in Chicago, and it’s clear that static or paper menu boards are quickly becoming obsolete. Now, it’s all about high quality, high definition, heavily branded, and up-dateable menus.
This aligned with another key show theme of sustainability and how digital menus help reduce paper waste by allowing for real-time updates, reducing the need for reprints.
According to a 2024 survey by the Green Restaurant Association, “70% of restaurants now use digital menus, up from 50% in 2023.”
AI and automation were ever-present at the show, but according to journalist Nancy Luna, voice AI was a standout, as she noted in her Automation News article, Voice AI Steals the Spotlight at National Restaurant Association Show.
“As I wandered through the technology-packed aisles of the National Restaurant Association food show last weekend, one standout star stole the spotlight among hundreds of vendors: sleek display screens sporting AI-powered voice ordering.”
She also mentioned SoundHound’s recent merger with SYNQ3 Restaurant Solutions, and how the “deal made SoundHound AI one of the country’s leading providers of voice AI for restaurants.”
At the SoundHound AI booth we featured demos and videos of our latest line of restaurant products including Dynamic Drive-Thru, Smart Ordering, Employee Assist and Smart Answering.
One thing that we noted, however, was less interest in robotics. Even though burger-flipping robotic arms, automated sushi makers, and hamburger-serving robots were on display, the excitement level was elsewhere.
“Last year, everyone was talking about robots. This year, they’re all talking about AI,” noted Austin Prosser, a senior manager at Toast.
Stephen Worley, operations manager for Aniai, which was displaying its robotic burger grill, said in a Restaurant Hospitality article, “Robotics is kind of nerve-wracking to the industry. It’s not that the Alpha Grill isn’t cutting edge. Rather, it’s that, ‘operators are hesitant to turn over their kitchens to a bot,” he said.
Software continues to evolve to help restaurants take advantage of new AI and automation capabilities. And management software was a popular display at the show. Here’s a brief list of vendors at NRA:
Sustainability was a much bigger part of the spotlight this year as evidenced by the volume of exhibitors touting eco-friendly products.
First-time visitor, Taein E&D, a foodservice technology and equipment company based in South Korea, showcased its ultrasonic deep fryer, which uses ultrasonic waves (an inaudible sound/vibration) to deep fry food—an option that both uses less power (5 kilowatts) and less oil than a traditional fryer.
Another first timer to the show, Nature’s Source, showcased its new carbon footprint tracing technology that allows operator customers to monitor their packaging carbon footprint in real time, and allow them to make swaps (using Nature’s Source products or others) to packaging that will be less harsh on the environment.
Other packaging companies were promoting features like compostable, recyclable, PFAS-free, or aqueous coating. These products have become more urgent with the huge increase in delivery and takeout traffic.
Other offerings at the show included:
This is the year that NRA fully embraced technology. More and more restaurants are using technical products and solutions to overcome today’s obstacles and are excited about what’s coming tomorrow. The 2024 show marked a key turning point in this journey.
David Barry is the senior technical content writer at SoundHound.
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