Restaurant AI tools expand as Toast launches marketing product and McDonald’s pilots virtual managers

Restaurant software firm Toast introduced its first AI‑enabled workflow, Toast IQ Grow, a digital marketing tool that automates website SEO, online ordering and social‑media campaigns. Co‑founder and CEO Aman Narang said the product, launched in May, is expected to generate about $10 million in annual revenue and is part of a broader plan to add AI‑driven services such as demand forecasting, labor scheduling and tax assistance for restaurants.

McDonald’s announced a parallel AI push, partnering with Google Cloud to deploy edge‑computing hardware in its 43,000 U.S. outlets. The technology will predict equipment failures, improve drive‑through order accuracy with AI‑powered cameras, and enable a “generative AI virtual manager” that can handle administrative tasks like shift scheduling. The move follows similar experiments by other fast‑food chains and reflects a growing trend to use artificial intelligence to streamline restaurant operations and reduce labor burdens.