The Future of Fast Food is In-House

In 2024, Yum Brands, the parent company behind fast food giants Taco Bell and KFC, saw a 15% jump in digital sales. They’re not alone. Digital orders at fast food chains are surging, owing to customer convenience. Earlier this year Yum launched its own tech platform, Byte by Yum, and crafted the restaurant sector’s first deal with AI hardware superpower Nvidia. For Yum, it’s about more than upgrading tech. The company is taking full ownership of its tech stack, wrapping everything from ordering to daily operations in in AI-powered digital infrastructure.

Data-handling capability is becoming too important to outsource. Stepping away from third-party partners gives Yum a front row seat, forcing them to gather and immerse themselves in pools of data and insights, which they need to translate to enhanced customer experiences and revenues. Within 5 years, we predict systems like Byte by Yum will become the norm for QSR firms and an increasing majority of CPG companies.