Nizel Pradhan
Yobe Inc., the go-to company for robust voice solutions that meet the human standard, and PLNT Burger, an emerging fast-casual burger chain with 13 locations on the East Coast, have partnered together to demonstrate the full capabilities of voice technology in restaurants at CES 2023.
In addition to solving common challenges in noisy environments, such as cross-talk, Yobe helps companies capture and use valuable voice metadata. This metadata, which includes certain biomarkers, makes it possible for restaurants to be able to provide a highly customized experience for customers, including recognizing the individual by voice, pulling up their preferences, rewards accounts, and more. Future developments will include the ability to understand and act on emotion, intent, and mood, adding an unprecedented layer of hospitality to existing ordering solutions.
In guest service interactions, such as ordering from a PLNT Burger kiosk, this means that users won’t have to speak in a slow or unnatural way in order to be understood. They can communicate just as if they were talking to a human.
“Restaurants have been inundated with technology solutions focused on making the guest experience frictionless. While those systems have done a good job with providing efficient service, they have missed the mark on providing genuine hospitality to our guests,” said Benjamin Kaplan, PLNT Burger Co-Founder and CEO. “With Yobe, we can now use voice to create a more authentic connection and still get the efficiency benefits that our guests have come to expect from ordering tech. In light of the staffing shortages we face, this combination will allow us to continue to provide great experiences without having to sacrifice a human connection.”
At CES 2023, PLNT Burger and Yobe will demonstrate the ability for conversational AI to place a personalized menu order on the noisy convention center floor. Yobe’s special brand of software extracts the voice markers needed to accurately identify the user and what they are ordering regardless of if someone else is talking/ordering at the same time.
“It’s invigorating to work with a company like PLNT Burger who is ahead of the game in improving their customer experience in restaurants through consistent, personalized voice interactions,” said Ken Sutton, CEO of Yobe. “We know there is a real opportunity for brands to build connections with their customers. We also know that to realize its full potential, voice technology has to work seamlessly in the wild. As you’ll see at CES and beyond, we’re breaking the technological ceiling on voice, and with partners like PLNT Burger, proving out the incredible opportunity it creates.”
PLNT Burger and Yobe will be demoing live in Las Vegas at CES, between January 5-8, at booth N. 60255, located in Eureka Park, across from the startup stage.
About Yobe
Yobe is the go-to company for robust voice solutions that meet the human standard. Our software unlocks the potential of voice interactions that work in the wild.
In any auditory environment, we make sure your voice application can identify and decode specific human voices, solve for crosstalk and barge-ins, and capture the valuable metadata inherent in voice. Based on teachings of the human auditory system, our software not only listens better than anything else, it can also decipher biological markers for identifying the talker and other facets of their voice for an added layer of meaning.
We work with brands building seamless voice interactions in any situation on any device, enabling an unprecedented level of intelligent control by voice. There is no expensive or complicated integration needed.
Yobe was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 2016 to enable voice that just works. To learn more and work with us on your next voice experience, please visit: yobeinc.com.
About PLNT Burger
PLNT Burger is a quick service restaurant concept from celebrity chef, Spike Mendelsohn, dedicated to serving the best burgers on the planet, for the planet. With a focus on plant-based juicy, indulgent burgers, soft-serve, and savory snacks our mission is to empower guests to “Eat The Change” they wish to see in the world with delicious foods they love and crave. PLNT Burger offerings are free of any animal products, without compromising on flavor or experience.
