A new restaurant technology testing center, called the Restaurant Technology Innovation Center, is set to open its doors in Chicago. Owned by Point B, a management consultancy specializing in business and technology transformation, the facility is scheduled to open in early 2025. The goal is to provide a practical resource for restaurant operators navigating the increasingly complex restaurant technology landscape.

Given the challenges restaurants face in evaluating and implementing new technologies, the facility will reportedly serve as a central hub showcasing a curated selection of leading restaurant technologies. The center will feature a fully integrated technology ecosystem, allowing operators to understand how different systems can work together to meet specific operational needs.

“After working with numerous restaurant clients to transform their technology stacks, Point B realized that the rapidly changing digital landscape of restaurant technologies often created more confusion than clarity,” the company said in a press release. “The new Restaurant Technology Innovation Center will solve this problem by providing a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated restaurant technology ecosystem that showcases the capabilities of multiple leading technologies side-by-side. This center will include best-in-class commerce platforms, back office systems, kitchen displays, kiosks, loyalty and tipping systems, digital menu/order confirmation boards, end-to-end AI and more.”

According to the press release, the Restaurant Technology Innovation Center offers hands-on experiences that allow restaurant operators to test and use various technologies in a simulated restaurant environment. Operators can experiment with different concept data sets representing different service models such as quick service, table service and fast casual to find out what works best for their business.

“This facility will provide a dynamic environment where customers and prospects can see how different technologies work seamlessly together to enhance the guest and employee experience. Customers will have the opportunity to test and try out modern technologies in a ‘live’ environment across various restaurant concept datasets (quick service, table service, fast casual, etc.) and explore the art of the possible with a digital appetizer – a customized workshop focused on exploring a possible future state.”

The center’s key technologies include:

• Trading platforms for online ordering and delivery management.

• Back office systems for inventory control, financial management and reporting.

• Kitchen display systems to improve order accuracy and kitchen operations.

• Self-service kiosks for customer convenience and individual order processing.

• Loyalty and tipping systems to increase customer loyalty and retention.

• Digital menu and order confirmation boards for improved communication and order overview.

• AI-powered solutions for task automation, data analytics, and personalized experiences.

The facility is designed to help multi-store restaurant operators leverage technology to achieve specific business outcomes, including:

• Increase in average unit sales and total sales.

• Promoting the use of digital ordering and delivery channels.

• Rationalizing processes and improving efficiency.

• Building a scalable technology infrastructure to support growth.

• Improve the customer experience and create loyalty.

• Using data insights to make informed decisions.

• Optimizing service speed and order processing.

The facility is designed to provide a pragmatic and accessible resource for restaurant operators seeking to navigate the evolving technology landscape. By providing a central location to experience and evaluate leading technologies, the center is designed to facilitate informed decisions and support the successful integration of technology solutions into the restaurant industry.

In an era of rapid technological advances and rising customer expectations, the value of these types of resources is clear. By providing a central hub for exploration, experimentation and collaboration, The Restaurant Technology Innovation Center can help Restaurant owners and operators are confident about the transformative power of technology.