The St-Hubert Group will soon deploy a network of order terminals in several of its rotisseries. However, unlike those that can be found for example in McDonald’s, it will not be necessary to touch the screen to select your meal.
“These are optical sensors that detect the hand 9 cm from the screen and trigger the click 4 cm from the screen,” explained Olivier Raulot, founder and CEO of iNUI Studio, in an interview. , the Luxembourg company which will soon supply a first batch of 24 terminals which will be installed in several regions of Quebec. A second order will follow, the size of which remains to be determined.
Mr. Raulot assesses that the AIR TOUCH technology is more hygienic than that of touch screens, but that their price is equivalent. The Luxembourg firm thus aims to become a world leader in ordering kiosks in fast food restaurants, in the transport sector and in tourist offices. It has also implemented its technology within the Luxembourg National Railway Company and at Bergen airport in Norway. It counts Samsung and Intel among its business partners for the creation of terminals.
However, Canada would be a market with great growth potential, so iNUI plans to open an office and a kiosk assembly plant there in 2023.
“In Europe, almost all fast food chains are already equipped with touchscreen kiosks. But we found that in Canada, there are very few of them. We believe that several companies will want to equip themselves and we will offer our technology,” said Mr. Raulot, who is visiting Quebec as part of an economic mission from the Luxembourg Minister of the Economy.
Turn in sight?
The Association Restauration Québec (ARQ) notes that many establishments, in debt due to the pandemic, have not had the means to make this shift, or have kept their funds in anticipation of other waves of closure.
“However, with the current labor shortage, I see many owners who are now thinking about new technologies. I believe that there will be development in this direction,” notes Martin Vézina, vice-president of public affairs for the ARQ.
The President and CEO of the St-Hubert Group, Richard Scofield, says he hesitated for several years before deciding to adopt the AIR TOUCH terminals.
“We wondered if that was the direction we wanted to take or if customers were going to be more inclined to order with their cellphones,” explained Mr. Scofield. But the pandemic has increased interest in takeout orders, and it was time to look at what the best solution was. A contactless terminal is the element that convinced us and that will meet the needs both for the experience and for the safety of customers from a health point of view. »
Since St-Hubert is understaffed, like the entire industry, Mr. Scofield also believes that these terminals will help improve the speed and fluidity of service.
The Group tested a small number of terminals for six months and is very satisfied with the results.