Yum China is testing an AI assistant for store managers

Yum China is testing an AI assistent for store managers in select KFCsPhoto courtesy of Yum China

Yum China today announced the pilot launch of “Q-Smart,” an artificial intelligence-enabled assistant for restaurant managers, at select KFC restaurants.

According to the company, Q-Smart helps with labor scheduling, inventory management, and food quality and safety inspection. Managers can interact with the system using wearable devices such as wireless earphones and smart watches, creating a hands-free experience rather than having to rely on touchscreens or PCs to complete tasks.

An example of Q-Smart’s application is its ability to monitor a restaurant’s inventory and compare it with upcoming sales forecasting, reminding managers to make timely ordering decisions. Q-Smart can also understand and respond to managers' voice commands, helping them to conduct equipment inspections and inventory counts. Further, the system can provide real-time support and solutions for managers to handle urgent operational issues.

"Q-Smart is not just an AI tool — it is a potential game-changer for how restaurants can be managed,” Yum China chief technology officer Leila Zhang said in a statement. “We believe that Q-Smart will not only help Yum China improve its operational efficiency but can also serve as an example for the digital transformation and smart development of the catering industry."

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Following this pilot phase, further user feedback will be incorporated, paving the way for a larger-scale rollout in the future.

The launch of Q-Smart marks a milestone in Yum China's end-to-end digitalization journey over the past decade. KFC China first enabled customers to pay digitally in 2015, followed by the launch of KFC's Super App in early 2016. As of March 2025, Yum China's digital loyalty program membership (for KFC and Pizza Hut) exceeded 540 million members. Yum China was also one of the earliest companies in the country to launch an enterprise cloud platform, called Yum China Cloud.

Additionally, Yum China began integrating AI-assisted store management and scheduling tools as early as 2019. In 2021, Yum China rolled out its comprehensive AI-powered "Super Brain" tool, leveraging operational data from Yum China's store network to aid store managers' decision-making. In 2022, the company introduced handheld Pocket Managers, allowing managers to track operational metrics in real-time. Yum China began testing Generative AI in 2024, including within its logistics and supply chain, customer service department, and various back-office functions.

Q-Smart was officially launched at Yum China's inaugural AI Day event held on June 20 in Shanghai. Also at the event, Yum China chief executive officer Joey Wat announced a nearly $14 million Frontline Innovation Fund to provide new resources to further support frontline restaurant employees, including with proprietary technology applications.

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"Yum China has always believed that true innovation must originate from frontline needs and serve frontline scenarios. AI is not only a technical tool to improve efficiency, but also a core partner to stimulate employee creativity,” Wat said in a statement.

Yum China spun off from Yum Brands in 2016, though the two companies do occasionally collaborate. Yum Brands has also been bolstering its AI solutions of late through a $1 billion investment in digital and technology. About 500 domestic Taco Bell locations now have AI-enabled drive-thrus, for instance. The chain also showcased its yet-to-be-launched restaurant “coach” at a recent investor day event in New York City. In a video demonstration, the coach recognizes that a worker was scheduled for fewer-than-usual hours, prompting the manager to ask if she wants to stay on for another hour to reduce wait times. The AI coach also assisted the restaurant with inventory management.

Yum Brands’ AI rollouts are facilitated by the company’s new Byte by Yum platform, which is a collection of products expected to enable a faster adoption of digital tools throughout its global system. The company also recently partnered with Nvidia to accelerate AI technologies in three key areas — voice AI ordering at the drive thru and call centers, computer vision (AI that processes visual data), and restaurant intelligence.

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During Yum Brands’ most recent earnings call in late April, chief financial officer and incoming CEO Chris Turner said, “We believe AI will become the new operating system of restaurants, and our partnership with Nvidia positions Yum at the forefront of that revolution.”

Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]