Rise Invests in New Tech to Tackle Labor Shortage

Rise Southern Biscuits and Righteous Chicken has invested in technology designed to keep a short-handed restaurant running smoothly.

The quick-service brand adopted in-store kiosks, allowing customers to place their own orders, and installed heated lockers to keep delivery and to-go orders hot, fresh and accessible.

Rise first made the upgrades at its 932-sq.-ft. location in Durham, N.C., and then expanded the tech to two additional corporate locations after noticing the “near-immediate” return on investment. According to a press release, the changes improved labor efficiencies. Rise’s model reduced the number of employees required per shift to a minimum of three staff members who were able to focus more on food quality and speed of service.

The model also reduced guest and employee interactions during the pandemic.

According to Rise Founder and CEO Tom Ferguson, the adoption of the technology has been a win. “ … After evaluating the ROI in only a few months, we quickly realized it’s helping our bottom line, increasing convenience for our guests and allowing our employees to perform their jobs more effectively,” says Ferguson.