FHT 2025 Conference: AI and restaurant chains: from technological promise to operational performance.

Context and issues: very real challenges for a sector in the throes of change

François Ruchon, CEO of Adoria, opened the conference by outlining the major challenges facing multi-site restaurant chains in 2025:

"The Covid crisis has radically transformed consumer habits - the rise of delivery is a perfect example - and created major recruitment and training tensions. In a context of unstable demand and constantly rising costs, it's vital to rethink management to preserve margins."

He insists on the imperative of "forecasting sales" in order to control inventory and limit wastage, thus guaranteeing optimal responsiveness to market fluctuations.

A conference driven by the strategic alliance of foodtech and AI in retail

Then, Guillaume Sarton, Sales Director at Adoria, moderated the entire conference alongside Martin Dubuc, Customer Success Lead at Verteego. Together, they demonstrated how the complementary nature of the foodtech experience and the integration of AI is now making it possible to offer fast, high-performance solutions to the various players in the value chain of organized catering.

Guillaume Sarton explains Adoria's partnership strategy:

"We chose to collaborate exclusively with Verteego. Their expertise in decision-making AI, combined with their multi-sector experience, enables us to enrich our offering and bring exceptional added value to our customers."

Martin Dubuc, for his part, specifies the concrete impact of their technology:

"By cross-referencing sales histories with external variables - such as weather or local events - our solution improved forecast accuracy by 5% from day one, with the aim of reaching 90% eventually."

Very concrete use cases to illustrate operational performance

The conference highlighted real-life applications that translate AI into tangible gains for restaurant chains. François Ruchon detailed how, by meticulously analyzing historical and seasonal data, AI can anticipate stock-outs. He explained:

"Thanks to our partnership, AI anticipates stock-outs by identifying variations in demand. As a result, we've reduced out-of-stocks and improved product availability by 25%."

Guillaume Sarton then illustrated the impact on plant maintenance, highlighting the transition from reactive management to a preventive strategy. Martin Dubuc, for his part, provided more detailed figures on the effectiveness of algorithms:

"Our machine learning models are transforming maintenance by anticipating breakdowns before they occur, enabling a 30% drop in unplanned breakdowns."

Finally, the speakers demonstrated how AI adjusts offers and promotions in real time. By integrating continuous data - such as the weather, local events or even changing consumer trends - the tool refines its recommendations. The result is a dynamic adaptation of menus and promotions, helping to stimulate sales while preserving margins. These concrete examples testify to the successful integration of AI, which translates into an immediate improvement in point-of-sale operational performance.

Future prospects: towards integrated, sober and explainable AI

A shared vision of the future that goes far beyond simply optimizing existing processes. Martin Dubuc emphasized the move towards smarter, more responsible AI models. In his view, emerging technologies - notably generative models and embedded AI - will redefine the relationship between human and machine.

"We envision AI that doesn't just improve operational efficiency, but operates soberly and transparently. Every recommendation produced will be justified, ensuring real trust in the system."

This approach to "explainable" AI means that beyond simple predictions, the system will have to provide clear explanations of the choices made, enabling teams in both central departments and within the restaurant network's outlets to understand and adjust purchasing or stock management processes, for example, in real time.
Parallel to this, the integration of embedded AI into everyday tools will enable continuous decision-making, directly close to operational teams, without excessive dependence on remote data centers.

In summary, these perspectives show that the future of AI is not limited to immediate efficiency gains, but is part of a global transformation approach, where technological innovation is combined with responsibility and transparency. It's this vision that positions foodservice AI as a true strategic partner, capable of evolving with the market and accompanying businesses in a constantly changing environment.

Practical advice for decision-makers in commercial and institutional foodservice

For decision-makers in commercial and contract catering chains, it's essential to understand that theintegration of AI is not a quick fix, but a strategic tool that optimizes operations on a measurable basis. In concrete terms, the approach outlined in the conference is based on the rigorous analysis of historical and contextual data, making it possible to accurately forecast sales, adjust supplies in real time and reduce waste.

By leveraging applications such as logistics optimization and predictive maintenance, the various managers of commercial or collective catering chains can achieve significant savings while improving the customer experience. Success lies in clear governance that combines Adoria's business expertise with Verteego's advanced technology, offering justified recommendations and precise indicators to guide sustainable investments in a constantly changing environment.

Adoria and Verteego: complementary expertise for sustainable transformation

Adoria is a leader in foodtech management solutions thanks to its integrated platform dedicated to restaurant chains. By centralizing purchasing, inventory and operational management, Adoria meets the specific needs of the foodservice industry by optimizing all business processes.
Discover our Adoria AI-assisted order advice.

Verteego is recognized for its expertise in decision-making AI applied in particular to retail. Its SaaS platform transforms complex data into precise strategic recommendations, facilitating sales forecasting, inventory optimization and promotion management. Verteego's cross-industry experience enables it to adapt its models to the specificities of the foodservice market.
To find out more about their approach: Learn more about Verteego.

The alliance between Adoria and Verteego demonstrates that the synergy between business expertise and cutting-edge technologies is the key to sustainably transforming operational performance. Our collaboration naturally illustrates how AI, strategically integrated at the heart of commercial and foodservice ecosystems, is becoming an essential lever for anticipating challenges and redefining industry standards.