St. Paul-based Ecolab developed a new artificial intelligence tool that’s helping restaurants improve efficiency at a time when many are struggling to stay afloat.
ST PAUL, Minn. — At Upin Hot Pot restaurant in Brooklyn Park, owner Shan Lin is no stranger to adaptation. After 30 years in the restaurant business, Lin opened his latest venture last year and decided to introduce robotic helpers to his dining room. The two robots deliver food directly from the kitchen to tables, lightening the load for his servers and freeing them to do other tasks.
“They get a free hand to do something else,” Lin said.” “Because we are all you can eat, sometimes it’s a lot of food, you know, you cannot hold it all in one hand.”
The two robots cost Lin $7,000 each, but he feels like they were well worth it, and he says his customers and employees enjoy them.
But robots are not the only piece of tech restaurants are using to improve efficiency. St. Paul-based Ecolab is combining artificial intelligence and data-driven innovation to help restaurants control food waste, track sales, and operate more efficiently.
Working with Microsoft, the company co-developed an artificial intelligence-powered app called Kitchen IQ.
“We’re connecting a lot of the data that restaurants are flooded with, and we’re helping them make sense of how to better run their operation,” said Ecolab Vice President Scott Salstrand. “We’re using things like AI insights to help them make better decisions every day that eliminates slowdowns in speed of service and improves the quality of the product they’re giving their customers.
Beyond software, Ecolab sends performance coaches directly to restaurants using Kitchen IQ. These on-site consultants help restaurants make the needed changes a reality.
According to a 2024 study of 362 U.S. restaurant owners, 79% have implemented or are considering using some form of AI in their business.