CKE Restaurants Deploys OpenCity's Game Changing AI "Tori", to Revolutionize the Drive-Thru Experience

BOSTON, May 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CKE Restaurant Holdings, owner and operator of iconic brands Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, announced today that it has partnered with OpenCity's AI proprietary voice ordering platform called "Tori", at select US restaurants. These select drive-thru's have implemented Tori to maximize operational efficiency, increase speed of orders, and improve accuracy to enhance the overall customer experience.

The process of engaging with Tori is seamless to the operation and guest experience. When guests arrive at the drive thru, guests will place their orders thru a digital interaction with Tori, and then pay the CKE associate for their meal at the pickup window.  The introduction of this AI technology has already positively impacted drive thru times thru improved order accuracy and better customer interaction, creating happier customers.  Additionally, it has allowed Carl's Jr. and Hardee's associates to focus more on providing better customer service and preparing timely and freshly made orders.

Here are some of Tori's amazing results from the Carl's Jr. & Hardee's restaurants tested:

• Increased order accuracy
• Significant impact to labor efficiencies
• Increased employee productivity
• Improved employee satisfaction

Tori natively and easily integrated with the latest POS technologies from both Brink and Xenial for Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants tested.

"Everything just runs better using Tori," said Raj Patel, a Regional Manager at Carl's Jr. "We love it. It's one of the best technologies I've ever seen! It used to be impossible to plan staffing with callouts every day. But, with Tori, I always feel that we're fully staffed; and the guests are having fun using Tori to order their meals!"

"The implementation of OpenCity's AI technology at our drive-thru's has significantly benefited our business by enhancing the speed and accuracy of order processing, resulting in reduced wait times for customers and increased efficiency for our staff," said Phil Crawford, CTO of CKE Restaurants.  Crawford also adds "The AI technology has transformed our drive-thru experience, providing us with a competitive edge in the market and helping us to better serve our guests."

"CKE is a global hospitality leader, and we're extremely honored and excited to partner with such a well-respected brand helping deliver the best-in-class drive-thru ordering experience for their guests", said Nick Belsito, CEO of OpenCity.

Customer driven marketing and digital experiences has been a unique competitive advantage for OpenCity, as Tori has become a TikTok sensation. Customers have frequently posted videos of their experiences on social media, yielding over 2 million views at Carl's Jr. and Hardee's.

Experience the magic of "Tori" for yourself by visiting OpenCity.co.

About OpenCity:

Built by restaurant people, for restaurant people. OpenCity has changed the way guests and restaurants communicate. Our proprietary voice AI assistant "Tori," is making the drive-thru experience more enjoyable by automatically and intelligently taking orders with 99% accuracy, enabling restaurants to focus more on their operations, while creating new revenue streams for their business. See the magic of "Tori" by visiting OpenCity.co

About CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.

CKE, a privately held company based in Franklin, Tennessee, runs and operates Carl's Jr.® and Hardee's®, two beloved brands, known for premium and innovative menu items such as iconic Charbroiled Burgers, Made from Scratch™ Biscuits and Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™. With both a US and international footprint, Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee's Restaurants LLC have over 3,800 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 43 foreign countries and U.S. territories. For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.

SOURCE OpenCity, Inc.