---
title: "Fast Casual: Investing in technology? Restaurants share hits and misses."
url: https://burnaze.com/article/bb4edf9f-5571-472f-8b12-566a52f7c723
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/fast-casual-investing-in-technology-restaurants-share-hits-and-misses-2703282
category: "Fast casual"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Fast casual"
topics: ["Technology"]
published: 2017-07-11T14:09:01.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T03:04:28.180Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/f6aa5a25b15fe5cb00d36108d7ca8a533018.jpg
---

# Fast Casual: Investing in technology? Restaurants share hits and misses.

**TL;DR:** Restaurants are utilizing new technology to grow their businesses, but not every breakthrough is a perfect fit for every company. Companies like A&W and Steak 'n Shake are finding ways to effectively use technology, such as iPads for training programs.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2017-07-11. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/fast-casual-investing-in-technology-restaurants-share-hits-and-misses-2703282).*

## Story

As technology improves, companies look to find new ways to utilize these mediums to grow their businesses. However, according to Fast Casual, not every breakthrough is a perfect fit for every company.

For example, while self order kiosks offer an efficient process, they lack the human element. The face-to-face interaction is lost and companies may feel this takes away from overall customer experience.

The article mentions the positive impacts of new technology in the workplace as well. iPads, for example, offer a new medium for training programs. Liz Bazner, digital manager of A&W, said that hosting videos on the iPads led to an increase in employee conversation surrounding the training process.

Adam Fricker, VP of Steak n' Shake offers a good rule of thumb for deciding whether or not a new technology will fit your business. In the article, he advises one must be able to "explain the technology to the executives in 20 minutes."

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- customer experience (topic)
- restaurant growth (topic)
- technology investment (topic)
- training programs (topic)
- Steak 'n Shake (company)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/fast-casual-investing-in-technology-restaurants-share-hits-and-misses-2703282). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/bb4edf9f-5571-472f-8b12-566a52f7c723).