Papa Johns Partners with Google Cloud to Revolutionize Pizza Ordering with AI

Papa Johns wants AI to transform pizza ordering

April 3 (Reuters) - Papa John's International wants to inject artificial intelligence technology into how its customers order pizza through an expanded partnership with Google Cloud, the chain said on Thursday. The company's plan is to put a personalized touch - based on past customer behavior and other context - onto phone push notifications suggesting orders, marketing emails, and loyalty program offerings. It will also add a new online chatbot and the ability to order through virtual assistants. The announcement marks the latest by a fast food company to tout AI technology as a way to boost sales and customer service, and streamline operations. "The advances in technology are allowing us to do things that we couldn't do three or four years ago," said Kevin Vasconi, Papa Johns' chief digital officer. "Some of it is around scalability, some of it is around security, some of it is, quite honestly, around cost." The use cases announced Thursday are similar to what many major restaurant companies have done for years to make use of their reams of sales data. "We've fallen behind in many respects, but there's a big opportunity to catch up fast and reclaim some of our tech leadership," said Todd Penegor, who was hired as Papa Johns chief executive year. The pizza company was the first national pizza chain to make online ordering available to all U.S. customers when it did so in 2001. Penegor was previously Wendy's CEO, where he presided over another partnership with Google Cloud to bring AI technology to the burger chain's drive-throughs. Penegor said that partnership was instructive, and at Papa John's, he hired the chief tech officer he worked alongside at Wendy's, Kevin Vasconi. Vasconi also oversaw a tech transformation at Domino's Pizza where he served as the top tech leader from 2012 to 2020. In the future, Penegor and Vasconi said the chain intends to roll out more AI progams to help in-store operations, such as helping plan delivery routes and count store inventories. Reporting by Waylon Cunningham; Editing by Lincoln Feast. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence

AI-Powered Pizza? Papa Johns Taps Google Cloud For Smarter Orders - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Papa John's International (NASDAQ:PZZA)

Papa John's International Inc PZZA and Alphabet Inc's GOOGL Google Cloud have entered a expanded multi-year partnership. What Happened: The pizza chain will migrate to a Google Cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system, enabling intelligent dispatching, route optimization, and automation of key restaurant processes. By integrating artificial intelligence, the franchise hopes to streamline food orders, enhance customer engagement, and optimize delivery logistics. Papa Johns has also introduced PJX, a specialized team that utilizes Google Cloud's AI, data analysis, and machine learning (ML) technologies. The company anticipates that these advancements will lead to more frequent orders, higher spending per purchase, and reduced customer service expenses. Also Read: Netflix Rolls Out Enhanced Subtitle & Dubbing Options On TV "Our partnership with Google Cloud will enable us to take personalization to the next level," President and CEO Todd Penegor. One of PJX's key focuses is using AI to anticipate customer needs. By leveraging Google BigQuery, Vertex AI, and Gemini, the system will suggest orders through push notifications and emails based on user preferences and upcoming events such as birthdays or sports games. Google's generative AI is expected to improve Papa Johns' loyalty program via customized discounts, special promotions, and targeted advertisements aligned with individual preferences and previous purchasing history. Additionally, Papa Johns will implement an AI-powered chatbot to handle routine inquiries while transferring complex issues to live agents. The integration of voice AI for ordering will further streamline interactions. Price Action: PZZA shares traded lower by 0.98% at $41.46 at last check Thursday. Read Next: Phoenix Motor And InductEV Power Up EV Fleets With Wireless Charging Tech Image: Shutterstock GOOGLAlphabet Inc$151.43-3.58%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum50.56Growth64.33Quality-Value51.26Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewPZZAPapa John's International Inc$41.21-1.58% This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs