Qu unveiled a first-of-its-kind Smart Kitchen solution at the Restaurant Leadership Conference: a fully integrated Energy and Equipment Intelligence system utilising patented technology around IoT sensors and Edge computing.
Built on Qu’s powerful data-first platform, the new capabilities feature real-time equipment monitoring, energy optimisation and predictive maintenance — creating one of the industry’s most advanced and comprehensive smart kitchen platforms — designed to provide operators with greater visibility, control and cost savings across back-of-house operations at scale.
This launch comes at a critical time for restaurants that are facing rising operating costs. Repair and maintenance expenses have climbed 31% since 2019 (2025 State of Repairs Report, 86 Repairs), while energy now consumes nearly 6% of average restaurant operating costs, according to The Carbon Trust. Equipment downtime alone costs the industry an estimated $46 billion annually (2022 State of Repairs Report, 86 Repairs).
“Restaurants are facing an operational tipping point,” said Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu. “Operators and franchisees are under intense pressure to cut costs without compromising performance. Our ground-breaking Smart Kitchen gives them the advanced tools they need to meet those challenges head-on, unlike anything before — reducing energy use, extending equipment life and building more efficient, consistent operations across every location.”
The integrated Smart Kitchen platform builds on Qu’s existing native technology to deliver centralised control and real-time responsiveness. The system turns kitchens into high-performance hubs through a unified IoT infrastructure. Key features include:
- Energy intelligence: monitors and optimises energy use across key equipment, reducing utility costs by up to 15%
- Real-time equipment monitoring and alerting: tracks performance and visualises issues using digital twins to enable proactive maintenance and extend asset life
- Predictive maintenance: uses AI to detect early warning signs before breakdowns occur—minimising downtime and repair costs
- Remote equipment control: adjusts settings on the fly from anywhere, giving operators unmatched flexibility and responsiveness
- Temperature and environmental control: continuously monitors refrigeration and HVAC systems to maintain food safety standards and ensure ideal working conditions
- AI-powered forecasting: predicts guest traffic and demand down to the hour using historical patterns and live data — helping reduce waste, improve prep accuracy and optimise staffing
These features integrate seamlessly with Qu’s existing back-of-house solutions, including the Kitchen Display System (KDS), Production Optimisation Board and AI-powered order readiness forecasting, providing a comprehensive platform for modern kitchen management.
Restaurants using Qu’s technology are achieving unprecedented results, reporting up to 3X ROI in the first year through energy savings, extended equipment life and improved product consistency.
“This kind of end-to-end control simply hasn’t existed in one solution until now,” said Manuel Schönfeld, SVP of Infrastructure and Innovation, Qu. “As kitchens adopt more advanced equipment from a growing mix of manufacturers, a unified platform becomes essential. By connecting data across power, equipment and production systems, we’re helping operators gain critical visibility and proactively detect anomalies — before they turn into costly disasters.”
Qu’s platform is designed for full interoperability, supporting a wide range of kitchen equipment regardless of the manufacturer. It captures real-time data from temperature sensors and energy monitors — providing operators with a more connected view of kitchen and building performance across systems. This infrastructure also lays the groundwork for Qu’s upcoming Device Orchestration Platform, which will unlock advanced automation across mixed hardware environments.
This future-forward approach simplifies kitchen and facilities management, reduces tech fragmentation and ensures kitchens stay agile as new equipment is introduced without missing a beat.
“The kitchen is the core of every restaurant, but until now, it’s been disconnected from the rest of the tech stack,” said Hudda. “This revolutionary solution brings critical systems together to improve performance, reduce costs and deliver better experiences for staff and guests — all while driving sustainability goals forward.”
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