IHOP personalizes digital ordering with AI
A fast-casual breakfast chain is deploying Google Cloud technology to enhance its online ordering experience nationwide.
IHOP is partnering with Google Cloud to enable logged-in guests ordering online to see more personalized options, including suggestions for their favorite IHOP items that they frequently order. The company is the first restaurant retailer to use Google Cloud Recommendations AI technology for online ordering specifically.
Leveraging Recommendations AI, IHOP intends to create a more personalized and tailored online ordering experience based on customer preferences, as well as changes to its menu offerings, pricing, and promotions. For example, if a customer has shown an affinity for spicy food in past orders, IHOP recommend a new spicy menu item.
IHOP is deploying cloud-based AI capabilities across its nationwide online ordering system as it is seeing increased growth in online orders. In recent years, IHOP has launched a new website, app, and customer loyalty program that offers exclusive rewards.
IHOP said it based its selection of Google Cloud AI technology on a variety of factors, but most important were the ability to fuse disparate data sources together, a flexible model, and overall ease-of-use.
"At IHOP, our guests always come first, and we're constantly making new investments and improvements to meet their evolving tastes and expectations. One of the biggest shifts we've seen with our guests is a preference for online ordering, with IHOP's to-go business rapidly growing to more than 20% of total sales in the last few years alone," said Kieran Donahue, chief marketing officer, IHOP. "Our new partnership with Google Cloud infuses AI into IHOP's online ordering experience, making it even easier for our guests to place online orders, quickly find the items they love, and discover our newest products relevant to their individual tastes and interests."
"Using Google Cloud's Recommendations AI and BigQuery products, our internal technology team developed an item recommendation engine, the first of its kind in the restaurant space using Google's AI," said Krish Lakshminarayanan, VP, data and analytics of IHOP parent Dine Brands. "IHOP is now quickly building, training, configuring, and launching our own AI models that seamlessly interact with our guests and will provide them with a personalized online experience."
"IHOP is a perfect example of how an action-oriented business is practically deploying AI to create better customer experiences," said Carrie Tharp, VP of industries, Google Cloud. "Now, one of America's favorite restaurants is using the latest AI innovations from Google Cloud to not only help its guests, but also help boost growth."
As of June 30, 2023, there are 1,790 IHOP restaurants around the world, including restaurants in all 50 states, two U.S. territories and 13 countries outside the U.S. IHOP restaurants are franchised by affiliates of Pasadena, Calif.-based Dine Brands Global Inc.
Editor’s Note: See how fast-casual restaurant giant Yum! Brands is improving online customer experience with cloud technology.