_______________________________________________________________________________________ Customer Experience
makes the experience more memorable. Technology also improves operational flexibility at scale. For example, self-service kiosks let customers modify or add items without re-entering a checkout line, reducing bottlenecks during peak periods. The benefits of in-store technology designed to engage extend to employee experience, too. Back-of-house displays can standardize required training, surface real-time updates and reduce reliance on shift-to-shift communication. Likewise, happier customers mean fewer tense interactions and repeat questions, allowing team members to complete work more efficiently and with less stress, and focus on welcoming new customers.
3. Balance brand consistency with store-level flexibility Consistency is a defining expectation for QSRs, but it often breaks down at the store level. In particular, franchise variability can lead to uneven experiences: some locations deliver modern, connected environments, while others rely on outdated signage or disconnected systems.
Not every store should look the same, but all stores should be equipped to deliver the same level of digital and physical experiences, tailored by location, layout and customer base. A drive-thru-heavy suburban store has different needs to a downtown store built for dine-in and pickup. Even two stores in similar neighborhoods may benefit from different technology setups if their footprints and flows differ.
Operators need clear standards for digital experience at the brand level— menu clarity, visual quality and product messaging— paired with flexibility in execution. That may mean different display formats, layouts or content strategies at the store level.
The goal is a consistent brand and food experience, not identical environments. Many brands now require digital standards as part of new builds and remodels, ensuring consistency while allowing adaptation to local needs.
Closing the digitalto-store QSR gap
In a world where most QSR orders now leave the building, treat every in-person moment as a chance to engage and convert. The brands that win will be those that use the store experience to protect and extend QSR fundamentals: throughput, accuracy, speed and consistency.
By better connecting digital and physical experiences across the full customer journey— from the highway to the drive-thru to the dining room and even the back of house— physical stores become more than a point of fulfillment.
Technology plays a central role in this extended experience, but only when it’ s deployed as part of a connected system, not a collection of standalone tools.
The question for operators isn’ t whether to invest in digitally driven store experiences. It’ s if current store set-ups are helping capture customerdemand or quietly giving it away. ■
David Boerlin www. lg. com / us /
David Boerlin is Retail & QSR Vertical Leader at LG Electronics USA, where he helps restaurant and retail operators enhance in-store experiences through connected digital solutions that drive engagement and operational efficiency. With more than 25 years of experience across retail, packaged goods and foodservice, he brings deep expertise in applying emerging technologies to improve customer journeys.
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