By ORIT NAOMI, RTN staff editor – 6.19.2025
A new Restaurant technology innovation center opened its doors in Chicago, offering restaurant operators a neutral and practical environment to assess and test a wide range of technologies before engaging in large -scale implementation. Developed by the National Council Company Point BThe installation is described as the first of its kind dedicated specifically to help restaurant brands to navigate in complex technological decisions.
The center brings together various operational platforms in a simulated restaurant setting, allowing brands to discover how disparate systems interact in realistic conditions. The objective is to help operators assess the functionality, integration capacities and long -term viability of technological solutions before committing significant capital. This could be particularly useful for multi-united brands, which are often faced with risks of high implementation when deploying new large-scale platforms.
David Hanfland, Director General of Point B, said that the idea of the center was born out of conversations with operators overwhelmed by the number of specific market solutions. “Multi-united restaurant operators have an overwhelming number of options to assess before investing in new technologies,” he noted. “To make these decisions easier, the point’s restaurant Technology Innovation Center provides a centralized center with the main technological solutions so that they can try them before implementation.”
Although the innovation center is agnostic suppliers, it has an organized mixture of well -established and emerging technologies. These include house front systems such as kiosks, digital menu cards and tilting tools, as well as home rear systems such as kitchen displays, work management tools and AI compatible analysis platforms. The center is also equipped to test loyalty programs, mobile control features and third -party integrations, reflecting the complexity of today’s restaurant stack.
The installation supports simulations in a variety of restaurant formats, from fast service to relaxed and full service models. Customers can perform test scenarios using data sets and operational flows adapted to their specific restaurant concepts. Point B says that the objective is not only to test the features, but to explore the operational impact, including the implications for staff training, customer experience and performance measurement.
Rich Faltot, main customer partner in the restaurant B sector, stressed the importance of realism in the evaluation of technological solutions. “It’s more than just a laboratory,” he said. “By simulating real world scenarios using business quality technology, we give brands the clarity and the tools they need to stimulate performance, avoid missteps and make informed decisions.”
Restaurant technology spending continues to grow as operators react to the increase in labor costs, modify consumers’ expectations and the rise of the digital control. According to a recent Deloitte report, 70% of consumers now prefer to order digitally for off -site meals and 40% prefer digital options for on -site meals. At the same time, many operators are wary of investing in unproven technology that may not deliver a return on investment or create operational friction.
In this context, the opening of the point B innovation center represents a potentially significant development for operators who seek more structure in their decision -making process. While other test kitchens and demonstration spaces exist – often hosted by suppliers or university establishments – the center is distinguished in its accent on integration and multiplatform decision aid services.
The installation also offers tailor -made consulting workshops to help restaurant leadership teams to meet specific challenges. These sessions can cover subjects such as digital transformation planning, optimization of guest route or cost-dispatches analysis for specific systems. Although always at its beginnings, the center aims to function both as a test field and a strategic resource.
A first visitor to the center, Jerry Philips, vice-president of Whataburger technology, expressed his enthusiasm about the concept. “I love being able to see all the different types of technologies-whether you are in your point of sale, your back office, your display systems, your kitchen management systems, your data analysis systems-all in a single space,” he said.
It remains to be seen whether the center finally becomes a standard model for industry, but it reflects a broader change towards more deliberate approaches and focused on the adoption of technology. While the catering industry continues to digitize, the need for practical assessment tools is likely to increase.