Technology

Yum China launches AI assistant

Photo: KFC

June 24, 2025

Yum China has launched Q-Smart, a hands-free AI enabled assistant for restaurant managers. Q-Smart helps frontline managers manage a wide range of day-to-day tasks, such as labor scheduling, inventory management and food quality and safety inspection, according to a press release.

Q-Smart allows managers to interact with the system using hands-free wearable devices such as wireless earphones and smart watches, enhancing operational efficiencies. This is different from traditional restaurant systems where employees often rely on touch screens or PCs to complete tasks, which occupy their hands. Using natural language, Q-Smart can interact directly with restaurant managers to help them better manage operational tasks throughout the day.

Yum China began piloting Q-Smart at Select KFC stores, with a larger-scale rollout expected in the future using feedback from users.

"Q-Smart is not just an AI tool — it is a potential game-changer for how restaurants can be managed," Leila Zhang, CTO, Yum China, said in the press release. "We believe that Q-Smart will not only help Yum China improve its operational efficiency, but can also serve as an example for the digital transformation and smart development of the catering industry."

Yum China began integrating AI-assigned store management and scheduling tools as early as 2019.

At the AI Day opening ceremony, Yum China CEO Joey Wat announced the establishment of a 100 million yuan (US $13.9 million) Frontline Innovation Fund to provide a variety of new resources to further support frontline restaurant employees. The Fund will further bolster the company's homegrown innovation in technology applications, including making the All-Staff Hackathon a regular annual event.

"Yum China has always believed that true innovation must originate from frontline needs and serve frontline scenarios," Wat said at the event. "AI is not only a technical tool to improve efficiency, but also a core partner to stimulate employee creativity."