Qu Redefines Restaurant Operations with Industry-First Smart Kitchen Integrating Energy and Equipment Intelligence

Breakthrough platform fuses IoT sensors, energy and equipment management, and predictive insights to maximize efficiencies and reduce costs

PHOENIX, April 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Qu, the leader in unified commerce for enterprise restaurants, unveiled a first-of-its-kind Smart Kitchen solution at the Restaurant Leadership Conference: a fully integrated Energy and Equipment Intelligence system leveraging patented technology around IoT sensors and edge computing. Built on Qu's powerful data-first platform, the new capabilities feature real-time equipment monitoring, energy optimization and predictive maintenance — creating one of the industry's most advanced and comprehensive smart kitchen platforms — designed to give operators greater visibility, control and cost savings across back-of-house operations at scale.

This launch comes at a critical time for restaurants facing rising operating costs. Repair and maintenance expenses have climbed 31% since 2019 (2025 State of Repairs Report, 86 Repairs), while energy now consumes nearly 6% of average restaurant operating costs, according to The Carbon Trust. Equipment downtime alone costs the industry an estimated $46 billion annually (2022 State of Repairs Report, 86 Repairs).

"Restaurants are facing an operational tipping point," said Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu. "Operators and franchisees are under intense pressure to cut costs without compromising performance. Our ground-breaking Smart Kitchen gives them the advanced tools they need to meet those challenges head-on, unlike anything before — reducing energy use, extending equipment life and building more efficient, consistent operations across every location."

Smarter Tools for Smarter Kitchens
The integrated Smart Kitchen platform takes intelligence to a whole new level, building on Qu's existing native technology to deliver centralized control and real-time responsiveness. The system turns kitchens into high-performance hubs through a unified IoT infrastructure. Key features include:

• Energy Intelligence: Monitors and optimizes energy use across key equipment, reducing utility costs by up to 15%
• Real-Time Equipment Monitoring & Alerting: Tracks performance and visualizes issues using digital twins to enable proactive maintenance and extend asset life
• Predictive Maintenance: Uses AI to detect early warning signs before breakdowns occur—minimizing downtime and repair costs
• Remote Equipment Control: Adjusts settings on the fly from anywhere, giving operators unmatched flexibility and responsiveness
• Temperature & Environmental Control: Continuously monitors refrigeration and HVAC systems to maintain food safety standards and ensure ideal working conditions
• AI-Powered Forecasting: Predicts guest traffic and demand down to the hour using historical patterns and live data — helping reduce waste, improve prep accuracy and optimize staffing

These features integrate seamlessly with Qu's existing back-of-house solutions, including the Kitchen Display System (KDS), Production Optimization Board and AI-powered order readiness forecasting, forming a comprehensive platform for modern kitchen management.

Restaurants using Qu's technology are achieving unprecedented results, reporting up to 3X ROI in the first year through energy savings, extended equipment life and improved product consistency.

"This kind of end-to-end control simply hasn't existed in one solution until now," said Manuel Schönfeld, SVP of Infrastructure and Innovation at Qu. "As kitchens adopt more advanced equipment from a growing mix of manufacturers, a unified platform becomes essential. By connecting data across power, equipment and production systems, we're helping operators gain critical visibility and proactively detect anomalies — before they turn into costly disasters."

Foundation for Advanced Equipment Orchestration
Qu's platform is designed for full interoperability, supporting a wide range of kitchen equipment regardless of manufacturer. It captures real-time data from temperature sensors and energy monitors — providing operators with a more connected view of kitchen and building performance across systems. This infrastructure also lays the groundwork for Qu's upcoming Device Orchestration Platform, which will unlock advanced automation across mixed hardware environments.

This future-forward approach simplifies kitchen and facilities management, reduces tech fragmentation and ensures kitchens stay agile as new equipment is introduced without missing a beat.

At RLC, Qu is also debuting a guest-facing Order Ready Board to improve transparency for digital pickup orders and streamline in-store traffic flow.

"The kitchen is the core of every restaurant, but until now, it's been disconnected from the rest of the tech stack," added Hudda. "This revolutionary solution brings critical systems together to improve performance, reduce costs and deliver better experiences for staff and guests — all while driving sustainability goals forward."

By unifying key kitchen technologies under a single platform, Qu is redefining how enterprise restaurants manage their operations. The result is a flexible, future-ready system that replaces legacy constraints with real-time intelligence — accelerating innovation where it matters most: the heart of the kitchen.

See Qu's Platform in Action at RLC
Experience Qu's Smart Kitchen firsthand at the 2025 Restaurant Leadership Conference (RLC). Visit booth #338 to explore the technology driving the next generation of restaurant operations. Don't miss Qu's innovation forum, "How the Fastest-Growing Brands are Unlocking Value with Unified Data & AI," on Tuesday, April 15, at 11:45 a.m. MT in Grand Sonoran G at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.

About Qu
Qu is evolving restaurant POS to create a truly connected restaurant experience for guests and operators at quick-service and fast-casual restaurants. Qu's industry-leading, cloud-native Unified Commerce Platform fuses the ordering, operations and guest engagement functions, delivering the real-time data needed to drive loyal, repeat guests. Based in Arlington, Virginia, Qu is backed by leading restaurant entrepreneurs and investors, including Cota Capital, Enlightened Hospitality Investments (EHI), Bobby Cox Companies and NRD Capital. Visit qubeyond.com and stay connected with LinkedIn.

SOURCE Qu