How TGI Fridays uses machine learning to scale personalization

Diners want to feel known. Restaurants will need to lean on machine learning to deliver predictive personalization and survive growing competition, Chief Experience Officer Sherif Mityas says. This is the third in a series of articles looking at the impact of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in restaurants. Technology may be transforming what connection between diners and restaurants look like, but a core motivation remains unchanged: people want to eat where everybody knows their name. With machine learning, TGI Fridays has been able to learn much more about its guests -- from favorite meals to whether they prefer to receive marketing outreach via email or text -- and bring that personalization to scale.