Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
No. of Recommendations: 2
According to the WSJ, DQ has started using AI to take drive-through orders.
"Dairy Queen began a test with technology company Presto to bring a drive-through chatbot to a handful of its U.S. stores last year, said Kevin Baartman, the company’s executive vice president of information technology. This week, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned restaurant chain is expanding the test to several dozen franchised locations out of its 3,000 U.S. and Canadian drive-throughs."
https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/next-time...Striving for operational excellence and better margins, but fewer jobs for high school kids! Will the customers care?
abromber
No. of Recommendations: 12
This is pretty much the entire industry at this point. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell…they’re all doing the same thing. I actually think it’s good news.
From what I’ve seen, it’s not so much “replacing the high school kid” as it is REDEPLOYING them. The real story is inside the store—DoorDash, Uber Eats, mobile orders…that volume has exploded! Someone still has to deal with all those orders.
The AI helps keep the line moving while the humans are trying to keep up with multiple order streams and a milkshake machine that might not work, etc…
Also, these systems aren’t exactly running the place solo—there’s usually a human hovering nearby making sure it doesn’t turn your Blizzard into a chili dog by mistake.
Bottom line: this is more about speed and accuracy than cutting bodies. And if anything, customers tend to “care” a lot more about getting through the drive-thru in 3 minutes instead of 10.
If a chain doesn’t keep up with that…DQ loses business imo. I’d be disappointed if DQ wasn’t going this route…
No. of Recommendations: 5
Wow, we should be up a good 42% today!!
No. of Recommendations: 1
The question is about policies of a subsidiary.
Subsidiaries are what moves the needle for Berkshire.
It's what we SHOULD be talking about.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Not sure anything at DQ will move the needle for BRK at this point, but it is interesting to see how BRK's businesses are adapting to change. AI must be impacting all of BRK's subs: NetJets, Precision CastParts, the insurance operations, BHE, everything. Unclear if it is affecting HQ, but unlikely. Greg seems unafraid of allowing the subs to use AI, and he is level-headed, so he will be smart about it. If anyone else is watching how this is unfolding, I am interested.
abromber
