The restaurant industry is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Brands are introducing customer-facing technology, new menu items, limited-time offers, subscription and membership programs, back-of-the-house innovations, and many other initiatives to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and meet evolving consumer expectations.
Major players are already shaping the future—Burger King’s Sizzle, Chipotle’s Chipotlane Digital Kitchen, Taco Bell’s Go Mobile, Panera’s NextGen, Wendy’s Global NextGen, Jack in the Box’s drive-thru-only model, and Checkers & Rally’s “Restaurant of the Future”. These innovations are redefining how customers interact with restaurants, making dining faster, more personalized, and more efficient.
As part of our 2024 Emerging Experiences report, we examined 10 leading QSR brands’ prototype locations alongside their legacy stores—offering a closer look at how these innovations are performing in real-world settings.
What became clear? These brands are just scratching the surface. Whether it's automated kitchens, digital-first ordering, or sustainability-driven designs, these new models have the potential to transform the industry and set new standards for customer experience.
Mystery shopping plays a crucial role in this transformation. Beyond evaluating service, accuracy, friendliness, and cleanliness, it provides valuable data on innovation locations versus controlled locations, giving you a comparison to make data-driven decisions.
Also Read: 12 key insights you can get from running a conventional restaurant mystery shopping program.
However, when launching new products, services, or technology, restaurants must understand:
Below are some of the biggest new initiatives in the restaurant industry, the brands implementing them, and how mystery shopping can be used to evaluate their effectiveness.
The way customers interact with quick-service restaurants (QSRs) is changing. Whether they’re ordering at a drive-thru, in-store, or via mobile, the focus is on speed, accuracy, and personalization. Convenience and efficiency are now the driving forces behind innovation—benefiting both customers and QSRs. Customers get faster service and seamless ordering, while brands see higher revenue, and increased upselling opportunities.
AI-powered voice assistants can take orders, suggest relevant add-ons, and process requests with minimal human intervention, whether at the drive-thru or in-store. Digital kiosks allow customers to browse menus, customize orders, and pay instantly, reducing the need for cashier interactions and speeding up service.
Who’s Implementing It?
| Wendy’s | Expanding AI-powered voice assistants, known as FreshAI, to 500+ locations by 2025 to streamline both drive-thru and in-store ordering.1 |
| Taco Bell | Deploying AI-driven voice ordering at drive-thrus across hundreds of stores.2 |
| McDonald’s | Expanded its kiosk program to include machines that accept cash and dispense change, allowing customers to complete orders without cashier assistance.3 |
| Checkers & Rally’s | Rolled out AI voice assistants in over 390 locations to improve efficiency. |
How Mystery Shopping Can Help Evaluate:
| Order Accuracy | Do AI and kiosks process customizations correctly, or do mistakes require manual corrections? |
| Speed of Service | Does AI reduce drive-thru wait times compared to human order-takers? |
| Customer Experience | Are voice assistants easy to interact with, or do customers struggle with miscommunication? |
| Suggestive Selling | Are AI-driven suggestive selling prompts relevant, and do they lead to higher check sizes? |
| Adoption & Satisfaction | Do customers prefer kiosks and AI over human order-takers, or do they see them as a barrier? |
By leveraging mystery shopping, brands can pinpoint operational gaps, refine AI performance, and optimize customer experiences.
Also Read: Key takeaways from QSR Consumer Perceptions Survey to see how customers view digital CX and what opportunities brands have.
For restaurants, launching new menu items is an exciting way to drive customer interest, increase sales, and stay competitive and relevant. However, the success of a new product isn’t just about great flavors—it depends on consistency across locations, availability, employee knowledge, and customer acceptance.
Almost every QSR and coffee chain updates its menu with the changing seasons. Whether it’s Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte, Tim Hortons’ Pumpkin Spice Timbits, Chipotle’s Smoked Brisket, or Wendy’s rotating frozen dessert flavors, brands continuously innovate to keep customers engaged and excited. Seasonal menu offerings not only create a sense of urgency but also tap into consumer cravings, driving traffic and boosting sales.
Ensuring that every location prepares, presents, and promotes new items correctly is crucial for a successful rollout. From limited-time offers (LTOs) to permanent menu additions, restaurants must ensure that customers receive the same experience at every store—whether they’re in New York, Los Angeles, or Toronto.
Who’s Implementing It?
| A&W | Initially launched in Ontario, Canada, Veggie Burger was rolled out nationwide due to record-breaking demand.4 |
| Wendy's | Launched Krabby Patty Kollab Burger in celebration of the 25th anniversary of “SpongeBob SquarePants”.5 |
How Mystery Shopping Can Help Evaluate:
| Consistency in Preparation & Presentation | Do new menu items look and taste the same across locations? Are portion sizes correct? |
| Employee Awareness & Training | Are staff members confidently explaining new items, including ingredients, allergens, and promotions? |
| Speed of Execution | Can employees prepare new items quickly without disrupting kitchen workflow? |
| Marketing & Promotion Effectiveness | Is the proper signage and POP out to highlight the offer? |
| Customer Reception | Do mystery shoppers find the new item appealing, worth the price, and likely to be reordered? |
By utilizing restaurant mystery shopping programs, brands can identify gaps in execution, training, and customer perception—ensuring that new menu items succeed across all locations.
"Loyalty is a two-way street."
While brands want loyal customers, customers in return expect brands to recognize their loyalty and reward them. Hence, QSR brands are turning to subscription and membership programs to create deeper customer relationships, ensure repeat visits, and drive steady revenue. Unlike traditional loyalty programs that offer points and occasional discounts, subscription models provide ongoing, tangible value—whether it’s free coffee, unlimited meal access, or exclusive discounts—in exchange for a recurring fee.
These programs not only encourage customer retention but also offer brands valuable data on purchasing behavior, allowing them to personalize experiences and refine their offerings.
Who’s Implementing It?
| Panera Bread | Introduced the Unlimited Sip Club, offering unlimited coffee, tea, and fountain drinks for a monthly or annual fee.6 |
| Taco Bell | Launched the Lover’s Pass in 2022, offering 30 days of free tacos for $10. It was relaunched in 2023 to celebrate National Taco Day.7 |
| Caribou Coffee | Launched a subscription program for convenient home delivery of coffee products.8 |
How Mystery Shopping Can Help Evaluate:
| Subscription Redemption Process | Are benefits applied seamlessly at checkout, both in-store and online? |
| Employee Awareness & Promotion | Do employees proactively promote the subscription and explain its value clearly? |
| Customer Satisfaction & Value Perception | Do customers feel they’re getting their money’s worth, or are there restrictions that lead to frustration? |
| Operational Impact | Does the program streamline customer service, or does it create longer wait times and confusion? |
"Innovation is about making life easier, not harder."
As the restaurant industry faces rising labor costs, and staff shortages, automation is proving to be a helping hand. Brands understand that automation isn’t about replacing human workers—it’s about augmenting human efforts to create a faster, smarter, and more scalable restaurant operation. AI-powered kitchens optimize workflows, robotic chefs ensure precision cooking, and autonomous servers streamline front-of-house service—all contributing to faster order fulfillment and reduced operational inefficiencies.
Who’s Implementing It?
| White Castle | Partnered with Miso Robotics to deploy Flippy 2, an AI-powered robotic fry cook, in 100 standalone locations.9 |
| Chipotle | Testing the "Autocado," a collaborative robot designed to cut, core, and peel avocados swiftly, enhancing guacamole preparation efficiency.10 |
| Popeyes | Introduced new kitchen technology like auto batter-makers to improve consistency and efficiency.11 |
How Mystery Shopping Can Help Evaluate:
| AI Kitchen & Robotic Cooking Performance | Are robotic chefs preparing food consistently in taste, quality, and portion size? |
| Order Accuracy & Speed | Does automation reduce mistakes and improve time-to-table compared to traditional kitchen setups? |
By running a restaurant mystery shopping program, brands can pinpoint automation challenges, refine robotic service models, and ensure AI-driven kitchens deliver on their promises—creating a future where technology and hospitality work hand in hand.
Every restaurant innovation—whether AI-powered ordering, automated kitchens, or new menu rollouts—is designed to boost consumer spending and maximize revenue, both of which directly impact return on investment (ROI). However, success isn’t guaranteed. To make these innovations worth the investment, brands must measure their impact, identify operational gaps, and optimize execution. Mystery shopping provides valuable, data-backed insights to ensure these initiatives drive profitability and enhance customer experience.