Wendy’s upgrades loyalty program with AI

The Wendy’s Company is deploying a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based loyalty platform to offer features such as gamification and personalization.

The fast-food hamburger chain is implementing the Par Technology Punchh loyalty, offers and engagement platform at nearly 6,500 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Utilizing the AI-based Punchh solution, as well as the Par Technology enterprise support offering, Wendy’s aims to advance its loyalty program with gamified experiences, targeted offers, and exclusive promotions tailored to individual customer preferences.

The retailer hopes the open architecture of Par Punchh will enable seamless integration into its existing app and online ordering systems, enhancing the omnichannel experience both digitally and in-store. Wendy’s is collaborating with Par to create a comprehensive loyalty and customer service program.

"Loyalty is not a feature, it’s an outcome – driving more customer lifetime value. We believe that coupling our technology with our skilled team of loyalty strategists not only gives brands the tools to build guest loyalty, but also puts us in the driver seat with them to deliver results," said Savneet Singh, CEO of Par Technology. "The partnership we’re building with Wendy’s is going to help cultivate their ability to deepen relationships with their fans and stand out. Blending their iconic brand offerings with cutting-edge solutions is a winning combo."

Wendy’s partners with Google to pilot AI-based drive-thru

In another AI-related technology initiative, Wendy’s is also expanding an existing partnership with Google to pilot a solution, called "Wendy’s FreshAI," which is based on Google Cloud's generative AI and large language models (LLMs) technology. 

The pilot utilizes Google Cloud generative AI solutions, such as Vertex AI, to automatically conduct conversations with customers, understand made-to-order requests and generate responses to frequently asked questions. 

Google's foundational LLMs which have the data from Wendy's menu, established business rules and logic for conversations are supporting the pilot, as well as integration with the retailer’s restaurant hardware and NCR Aloha POS system.

Columbus, Ohio-based Wendy's and its franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across approximately 7,000 restaurants worldwide.