Technology

CBS NorthStar, Kea transforming phone ordering with voice AI

July 18, 2024

To advance digital transformation to the phone channel, Kea is pairing its Voice AI with CBS NorthStar's POS software. Since 2022, Kea's Voice AI has answered over 1 million calls, and the partnership will give 10,000 restaurant operators access to Kea's automated phone ordering system, said Jeremy Julian, chief revenue officer of CBS NorthStar.

"With decades of experience in pioneering restaurant technology solutions that optimize operations, we recognize the immense potential of Voice AI to drive operational efficiency and enhance customer service," he said in a company press release. "This partnership with kea underscores our commitment to propel the restaurant industry forward into the era of AI."

Using Automated Speech Recognition and Natural Language Understanding technologies, Kea captures orders and transfers them directly to the kitchen through the POS system. The AI also features a live customer service representative, or "human-in-the-loop," who can intervene as needed to ensure order success.

As part of the alliance, CBS NorthStar will promote Kea's Voice AI as an optional enhancement to its POS solutions, giving restaurants the flexibility to customize their technology stack according to their specific needs and preferences.

California Fish Grill, one of the joint customers of CBS NorthStar and Kea, is reaping the benefits of this integrated technology over the past several months.

"As a vice president of information technology who leverages both CBS NorthStar and Kea for our brand of 50-plus restaurants, I can attest that these technologies are effective for our large-scale operations and will continue to help us grow," Patrick Waiyawaytar VP of IT, California Fish Grill, said in the release.