DFW-Based Yum! Brands Exec Named President of 'Byte by Yum!' SaaS Platform

Yum! Brands Inc. has introduced Byte by Yum!, a collection of proprietary software as a service AI-driven products that will enable KFC, Taco Bell, Plano-based Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill restaurants across the world to “delight customers, streamline operations, and empower teams.” DFW-based Joe Park will serve as president of Byte by Yum!, in addition to his overall chief digital & technology officer role, the company said.

Yum! said the technology platform enables easy operations for its team members and improved experiences for customers, while consolidating essential systems into a cohesive, easy-to-manage platform.

“As the world’s largest restaurant company, Yum!’s scale allows us to make massive strides in growing our proprietary digital and AI-driven platform in partnership with franchisees,” Park said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to take this important next step to simplify and further integrate our industry-leading restaurant technologies under Byte by Yum!. Moving forward, we are focused on enhancing Byte by Yum! and the capabilities this streamlined approach unlocks for team members, franchisees and customers.”

Yum! said the tech platform enables easy operations for its team members and improved experiences for customers, while consolidating essential systems into a cohesive, easy-to-manage platform.

Byte’s impact

The company said that implementing Byte by Yum! will also enable a faster and more impactful adoption of AI by Yum! and its brands. Backed by artificial intelligence, Byte by Yum! offers franchisees leading technology capabilities with advantaged economics made possible by the scale of Yum!, the company said

The company said that the Byte by Yum! platform includes online and mobile app ordering, point of sale, kitchen and delivery optimization, menu management, inventory and labor management, and team member tools.

Yum! Brands said that In recent years, it acquired and developed new and emerging technology capabilities. With the introduction of Byte by Yum!, the company said it is phasing out the legacy names and branding for technology products such as Poseidon, Yum! Commerce Platform, Tracks, and SuperApp, which are now housed under Byte by Yum!.

In the U.S., all four of Yum!’s brands are using elements of Byte by Yum! to process more than 300 million digital transactions a year. Yum! said it’s rapidly expanding the technology for use in international markets with 25,000 Yum! restaurants globally using at least one Byte by Yum! product.

For example, Taco Bell U.S. enables its “rich customer experiences and speedy operations” by using Byte by Yum!’s integrated online ordering, point of sale, and back-of-house technologies.

Pizza Hut U.S. improves guest satisfaction by using the Byte by Yum! kitchen system to improve delivery times, reduce the time pizzas wait in the restaurant, and provide guests real-time visibility into their order location.

Globally, across KFC, Byte by Yum!’s AI restaurant coach is widely scaled and enables operational consistency and restaurant manager efficiency.

Benefits and operations

The company said that its brands and franchisees are continuing to see significant benefits from the products within the Byte by Yum! platform.

Per Yum!, benefits include:

Digital transaction growth
Increased pricing and promotional speed and agility
Improved order accuracy and delivery experiences leading to an overall increase in guest satisfaction
Greater forecast accuracy for inventory ordering
Greater team member satisfaction and reduced turnover

Yum! Brands Inc. is based in Louisville, Kentucky, and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of over 61,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under the company’s concepts—KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill.

The company said its Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut brands are global leaders of the Mexican-inspired food, chicken and pizza categories, respectively. Habit Burger & Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more.