WO2018081782A1

WO2018081782A1 - Devices and systems for remote monitoring of restaurants

Info

Publication number: WO2018081782A1
Application number: PCT/US2017/059238
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Miller; Anthony LOMELINO
Original assignee: Caliburger Cayman
Priority date: 2016-10-31
Filing date: 2017-10-31
Publication date: 2018-05-03

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for monitoring and/or analyzing operations, inventory, quality control, customer interactions, customer satisfaction, and/or other restaurant elements. In particular, the present disclosure relates to combining data sensed or received by various monitoring devices, storing the data at a central location, and analyzing the data to evaluate restaurant operations.

Description

DEVICES AND SYSTEMS FOR REMOTE MONITORING OF RESTAURANTS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.

62/415,061, entitled Devices and Systems for Remote Monitoring of Restaurants, and filed October 31, 2016, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[002] The present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for monitoring restaurant operations. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for monitoring standard operating procedures, inventory, customer experience, and other restaurant operations. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to the use of monitoring devices arranged within a restaurant to record operating procedures, inventory, customer experience, and other restaurant operations for analysis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[003] The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[004] Restaurant chains generally seek consistency as an overarching goal.

Monitoring employee operations across various restaurants in the same chain can be a complex and difficult task. Currently, chain management often relies on field inspections to audit employee compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and other standards. Such field inspections may be costly, may not provide real time data, and results may be skewed by the Hawthorne Effect as employees may perform differently when they are knowingly being observed. The result may be variability in food taste and quality, as well as variability in customer interactions across the same restaurants in a chain. Additionally, precisely understanding the reactions and opinions of guests across numerous locations is currently difficult. Social media provides some insight into the feelings of customers, but data is likely skewed. Finally, restaurant employees typically track inventory and manually place orders with suppliers. This can lead to errors in counting or estimating quantities and/or data entry errors.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[005] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments, nor delineate the scope of any or all embodiments.

[006] The present disclosure, in one or more embodiments, relates to a system for monitoring restaurant operations. The system may have a monitoring device collecting data related to one or more restaurant operations, a database storing the collected data as non-transitory computer readable media, a controller programmed with computer executable instructions for analyzing the collected data by comparing the collected data to a stored parameter, and a user interface configured to provide user access to the collected data. In some embodiments, the monitoring device may be a camera. The camera may be arranged in a cold storage room, and the collected data may include a quantity of a food item. Moreover, the controller may be programmed with computer executable instructions for placing an order for the food item. In some embodiments, the camera may be mounted on a mobile robot having one or more wheels. The collected data may include video of a task performed by an employee, and analyzing the collected data may include comparing the video to a stored procedure for the task. The collected data may include a customer reaction in some embodiments. Moreover, the monitoring device may be a scale for measuring weight, and the collected data may include an amount of a food product. In some embodiments, the system may have a plurality of monitoring devices, and the monitoring device may be arranged within a plurality of restaurants. The monitoring device may include a thermometer, and the collected data may include a cooking surface temperature or a cold storage temperature. The controller may additionally be programmed with computer executable instructions for sending an alert to the user interface if the collected data does not align with the stored parameter.

[007] The present disclosure, in one or more embodiments, additionally relates to a method for monitoring restaurant operations. The method may include using a monitoring device to collect data within the restaurant, storing the collected data in a database, and analyzing the collected data to determine if an action should be performed. In some embodiments, analyzing the collected data may include comparing the collected data to a stored parameter. The monitoring device may include a camera, and the collected data may include video of a restaurant employee performing a task. The action may further include alerting an operator of an improper procedure. In some embodiments, the collected data may include images of product inventory, and the action may include reordering a product. In some embodiments, the monitoring device may be a scale, the collected data may include a product weight, and the action may include reordering the product. In some embodiments, the monitoring device may be a camera, the collected data may be a customer reaction, and the action may include an action related to customer satisfaction.

[008] The present disclosure, in one or more embodiments, additionally relates to a system for identifying a restaurant customer. The system may include an ordering kiosk for receiving a customer's food order, a camera configured and arranged to capture images to identify the customer, a database storing customer data as non-transitory computer readable media, and a controller programmed with computer executable instructions for comparing the images captured by the camera to the database of stored customer data to identify the customer. In some embodiments, the customer may be a drive-through customer and the camera may be arranged to capture images of a vehicle license plate of the customer. The stored customer data may additionally include license plate data, and the controller may be programmed with computer executable instructions for analyzing the images captured by the camera to identify the customer's vehicle license plate number, and for comparing the identified license plate number to th stored license plate data.

[009] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[010] While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as forming the various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures, in which:

[011] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system of the present disclosure, according to one or more embodiments.

[012] FIG. 2 A is a photograph of a monitoring device of the present disclosure, according to one or more embodiments.

[013] FIG. 2B is a photograph of another monitoring device of the present disclosure, according to one or more embodiments.

[014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another monitoring device of the present disclosure, according to one or more embodiments.

[015] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of information identifiable by a system of the present disclosure, according to one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[016] The present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for monitoring and/or analyzing operations, inventory, quality control, customer interactions, customer satisfaction, and/or other restaurant elements. In particular, the present disclosure relates to combining data sensed or received by various monitoring devices, storing the data at a central location, and analyzing the data to evaluate restaurant operations. [017] FIG. 1 shows a system 100 of the present disclosure, according to some embodiments. The system may be configured to monitor and/or analyze restaurant data. Additionally, the system may be configured to provide report, alerts, and/or other information to a user or administrator via the user interface. As shown, the system 100 may generally have a user interface 102, one or more monitoring devices 104, a database 106, and a controller 108. The components of the system 100 may communicate over wired or wireless networks 110. In some embodiments, one or more components of the system 100 may be remotely located. For example, the user interface 102, database 106, and/or controller 108 may be remotely located from the one or more monitoring devices 104 located at the restaurant. In some embodiments, one or more components of the system 100 may be provided by, executed on, or performed using cloud-based services or in a cloud-based environment.

[018] The user interface may be a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computing device, smartphone, personal digital assistant, smartwatch, and/or other suitable computing device.

[019] A monitoring device 104 may be, for example, a camera, an audio recorder, or a sensor for obtaining various types of visual, audio, or sensed information inside or outside of a restaurant. For example, monitoring devices 104 may include, but are not limited to, infrared cameras, spectral cameras, 3D cameras, cameras with integrated machine vision, and thermal cameras. Additionally, monitoring devices 104 may include sensors, such as temperature sensors, microphones, and pathogen detectors, for example. As a particular example, one or more cameras may be arranged in a storage room, such as a cold storage room, for monitoring inventory. FIGS. 2 A and 2B show examples of cameras 204 that may be installed in a restaurant. In some embodiments, a monitoring device 104 may be a mobile device. FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of a mobile monitoring device 304 of the present disclosure. The monitoring device 304 may be, but is not limited to, a robot having a camera and capable of moving around in an inventory storage room, for example. The monitoring device 304 may have a mechanism for automatically and/or manually adjusting the height and angle of the camera. The monitoring device 304 may also have a mechanism for the camera to automatically and/or manually move horizontally so that it can image items further back on shelves. In some embodiments, monitoring devices 104 may send information to the database 106 and/or controller 108 via a wireless connection, such as a Wifi, BLE/Bluetooth, or other connection.

[020] The database 106 may be configured to store data recorded or sensed by the one or more monitoring devices 104.

[021] The controller 108 may be configured to review and/or analyze the data recorded or sensed by the one or more monitoring devices 104. For example, in some embodiments, the controller 108 may be configured to identify particular elements or thresholds within sensed data. As a particular example, in one embodiment, spectral imaging data gathered by a monitoring device 104 may be analyzed by the controller 108 to detect pathogens on food or other surfaces in the restaurant. As another example, cameras may also be used to track human activity related to performance of various SOPs. The cameras may obtain visual data, and the controller 108 may compare the visual data to stored data (such as simulations or historical videos, for example) for how the SOPs should be performed. As another example, temperature sensors may be used to determine temperatures in a refrigeration or cooking areas, and the controller 108 may be configured to compare the sensed temperatures to desired refrigeration or cooking temperatures to determine if the appropriate temperatures are being used.

[022] In some embodiments, the controller 108 may be configured to send an alert to a user via the user interface 102. For example, if the controller 108 identifies an unsafe condition or a lack of compliance, an alert may be sent to the user interface 102. In some embodiments, parameters for triggering an alert may be predefined by a user or by comparison to known requirements or standards. An alert may be sent when, for example, an SOP is not being properly executed, or if a cooking temperature is below a specified required cooking temperature.

[023] In one embodiment, the controller may be configured to identify inventory shown in video or photographs of restaurant storage areas. For example, FIG. 4 shows a photograph or video screenshot of an inventory area of a restaurant. The controller 108 may be configured to review the visual data to identify particular inventory items, such as "Cheese-case," "Blanched-fries," "Bacon-case," and "Beef-case." The controller 108 may generally be configured to identify any suitable inventory items or other elements. [024] The controller 108 may generally include hardware and/or software for performing the above described operations. For example, the controller 108 may include hardware circuitry and/or other hardware programmed with one or more software programs or applications for receiving and analyzing data, and sending alerts or reports.

Systems For Remote Monitoring of Restaurant Operations

[025] In use, apparatuses and system of the present disclosure may be used to remotely manage restaurant operations. Specifically, visual, audio, or other data may be obtained or sensed in the restaurant, the data may be analyzed by a controller that is programmed to identify particular elements, and information concerning the elements may be delivered to a designated operator via a user interface.

Systems For Remote Monitoring of Customer Satisfaction and Employee Attitude

[026] In some embodiments, systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used to monitor customer satisfaction. Various cameras can be used to obtain visual information about facial expressions and reactions of both employees and customers to different experiences in the restaurant. The visual data can be analyzed by software on a computer to determine customers' preferences, emotions, and overall experiences. The data can also be analyzed to measure employee attitudes toward customers.

Systems For Remote Inventory Management

[027] In some embodiments, systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used tracking restaurant inventory. Various cameras and sensors can be used to obtain data related to inventory such as visual objects and changing weights of containers. The data can analyzed by software on a computer to determine changes in inventory and provide real updates to an inventory management database.

[028] Additionally, systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used for automated ordering of food or other supplies from suppliers based on automated changes to the inventory management database. Another embodiment is a system for automated ordering of food from suppliers based on automated changes to the inventory management database on algorithms for forecasting of near term demand based on historical sales, weather patterns, social media chatter, local events, and other data.

Integration Into The POS

[029] The devices and systems described in the present invention can also be integrated into a point of sale (POS) system so that data regarding restaurant operations, customer satisfaction, employee attitude, and inventory management can be compared to sales trends. Various data analytic techniques can be used to identify correlations and causalities.

Vision Systems For Drive Through Formats

[030] In some embodiments, systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used to improve a customer ordering experience, such as a customer drive-through experience. For example, one or more cameras may be arranged on or near an ordering kiosk. Facial recognition software or other identifying software may be used to trigger loyalty accounts of customers as they stand or present in front of the kiosk. With respect to a drive through format, camera systems can be installed at one or more points in the drive through area to enable the cameras to identify the license plate on a vehicle. The license plate imaged by one or more cameras can be matched to a database of license plates associated with customer loyalty accounts. When a customer approaches the ordering screen, the screen can trigger the customer's loyalty account associated with the license plate.

[031] For purposes of this disclosure, any system described herein may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, calculate, determine, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, communicate, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, a system or any portion thereof may be a minicomputer, mainframe computer, personal computer (e.g., desktop or laptop), tablet computer, mobile device (e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA) or smart phone) or other hand-held computing device, server (e.g., blade server or rack server), a network storage device, or any other suitable device or combination of devices and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. A system may include volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, etc.). A basic input/output system (BIOS) can be stored in the non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM), and may include basic routines facilitating communication of data and signals between components within the system. The volatile memory may additionally include a high-speed RAM, such as static RAM for caching data.

[032] Additional components of a system may include one or more disk drives or one or more mass storage devices, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, touchscreen and/or a video display. Mass storage devices may include, but are not limited to, a hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, CD-ROM drive, smart drive, flash drive, or other types of non-volatile data storage, a plurality of storage devices, a storage subsystem, or any combination of storage devices. A storage interface may be provided for interfacing with mass storage devices, for example, a storage subsystem. The storage interface may include any suitable interface technology, such as EIDE, ATA, SATA, and IEEE 1394. A system may include what is referred to as a user interface for interacting with the system, which may generally include a display, mouse or other cursor control device, keyboard, button, touchpad, touch screen, stylus, remote control (such as an infrared remote control), microphone, camera, video recorder, gesture systems (e.g., eye movement, head movement, etc.), speaker, LED, light, joystick, game pad, switch, buzzer, bell, and/or other user input/output device for communicating with one or more users or for entering information into the system. These and other devices for interacting with the system may be connected to the system through I/O device interface(s) via a system bus, but can be connected by other interfaces such as a parallel port, IEEE 1394 serial port, a game port, a USB port, an IR interface, etc. Output devices may include any type of device for presenting information to a user, including but not limited to, a computer monitor, flat-screen display, or other visual display, a printer, and/or speakers or any other device for providing information in audio form, such as a telephone, a plurality of output devices, or any combination of output devices. [033] A system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components. A system bus may be any of several types of bus structure that can further interconnect, for example, to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller) and/or a peripheral bus (e.g., PCI, PCIe, AGP, LPC, etc.) using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures.

[034] One or more programs or applications, such as a web browser and/or other executable applications, may be stored in one or more of the system data storage devices. Generally, programs may include routines, methods, data structures, other software components, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Programs or applications may be loaded in part or in whole into a main memory or processor during execution by the processor. One or more processors may execute applications or programs to run systems or methods of the present disclosure, or portions thereof, stored as executable programs or program code in the memory, or received from the Internet or other network. Any commercial or freeware web browser or other application capable of retrieving content from a network and displaying pages or screens may be used. In some embodiments, a customized application may be used to access, display, and update information. A user may interact with the system, programs, and data stored thereon or accessible thereto using any one or more of the input and output devices described above.

[035] A system of the present disclosure can operate in a networked environment using logical connections via a wired and/or wireless communications subsystem to one or more networks and/or other computers. Other computers can include, but are not limited to, workstations, servers, routers, personal computers, microprocessor-based entertainment appliances, peer devices, or other common network nodes, and may generally include many or all of the elements described above. Logical connections may include wired and/or wireless connectivity to a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), hotspot, a global communications network, such as the Internet, and so on. The system may be operable to communicate with wired and/or wireless devices or other processing entities using, for example, radio technologies, such as the IEEE 802.xx family of standards, and includes at least Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity), WiMax, and Bluetooth wireless technologies. Communications can be made via a predefined structure as with a conventional network or via an ad hoc communication between at least two devices.

[036] Hardware and software components of the present disclosure, as discussed herein, may be integral portions of a single computer or server or may be connected parts of a computer network. The hardware and software components may be located within a single location or, in other embodiments, portions of the hardware and software components may be divided among a plurality of locations and connected directly or through a global computer information network, such as the Internet. Accordingly, aspects of the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced in distributed computing environments where certain tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In such a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and/or remote storage and/or memory systems.

[037] As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied as a method (including, for example, a computer-implemented process, a business process, and/or any other process), apparatus (including, for example, a system, machine, device, computer program product, and/or the like), or a combination of the foregoing. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium, having computer-executable program code embodied in the medium, that define processes or methods described herein. A processor or processors may perform the necessary tasks defined by the computer-executable program code. Computer-executable program code for carrying out operations of embodiments of the present disclosure may be written in an object oriented, scripted or unscripted programming language such as Java, Perl, PHP, Visual Basic, Smalltalk, C++, or the like. However, the computer program code for carrying out operations of embodiments of the present disclosure may also be written in conventional procedural programming languages, such as the C programming language or similar programming languages. A code segment may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, an object, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

[038] In the context of this document, a computer readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the systems disclosed herein. The computer-executable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to the Internet, optical fiber cable, radio frequency (RF) signals or other wireless signals, or other mediums. The computer readable medium may be, for example but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples of suitable computer readable medium include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more wires or a tangible storage medium such as a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable readonly memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a compact disc read-only memory (CD- ROM), or other optical or magnetic storage device. Computer-readable media includes, but is not to be confused with, computer-readable storage medium, which is intended to cover all physical, non-transitory, or similar embodiments of computer-readable media.

[039] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products. It is understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and/or combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer- executable program code portions. These computer-executable program code portions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a particular machine, such that the code portions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create mechanisms for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. Alternatively, computer program implemented steps or acts may be combined with operator or human implemented steps or acts in order to carry out an embodiment of the invention.

[040] Additionally, although a flowchart or block diagram may illustrate a method as comprising sequential steps or a process as having a particular order of operations, many of the steps or operations in the flowchart(s) or block diagram(s) illustrated herein can be performed in parallel or concurrently, and the flowchart(s) or block diagram(s) should be read in the context of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the order of the method steps or process operations illustrated in a flowchart or block diagram may be rearranged for some embodiments. Similarly, a method or process illustrated in a flow chart or block diagram could have additional steps or operations not included therein or fewer steps or operations than those shown. Moreover, a method step may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc.

[041] As used herein, the terms "substantially" or "generally" refer to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is "substantially" or "generally" enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness of completion will be so as to have generally the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of "substantially" or "generally" is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an element, combination, embodiment, or composition that is "substantially free of or "generally free of an element may still actually contain such element as long as there is generally no significant effect thereof. [042] In the foregoing description various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The various embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principals of the disclosure and their practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.

Claims

Claims We claim:

1. A system for monitoring restaurant operations, the system comprising: a monitoring device collecting data related to one or more restaurant operations; a database storing the collected data as non-transitory computer readable media; a controller programmed with computer executable instructions for: analyzing the collected data by comparing the collected data to a stored parameter; and a user interface configured to provide user access to the collected data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device comprises a camera.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the camera is arranged in a cold storage room.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the collected data comprises a quantity of a food item, and wherein the controller is additionally programmed with computer executable instructions for placing an order for the food item.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the camera is mounted on a mobile robot.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the robot comprises one or more wheels.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the collected data comprises video of a task

performed by an employee, and wherein analyzing the collected data comprises comparing the video to a stored procedure for the task.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the collected data comprises a customer reaction.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device comprises a scale for measuring weight, and the collected data comprises an amount of a food product.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of monitoring devices.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of monitoring devices are arranged within a plurality of restaurants.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises a thermometer, and the collected data comprises at least one of a cooking surface temperature and a cold storage temperature.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is additionally programmed with computer executable instructions for sending an alert to the user interface if the collected data does not align with the stored parameter.

14. A method for monitoring restaurant operations, the method comprising: using a monitoring device to collect data within a restaurant; storing the collected data in a database; and analyzing the collected data to determine if an action should be performed, wherein analyzing the collected data comprises comparing the collected data to a stored parameter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the monitoring device comprises a camera, the collected data comprises video of a restaurant employee performing a task, and the action comprises alerting an operator of an improper procedure.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the monitoring device comprises a camera, the collected data comprises images of product inventory, and the action comprises reordering a product.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the monitoring device comprises a scale, the collected data comprises a product weight, and the action comprises reordering the product.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the monitoring device comprises a camera, the collected data comprises a customer reaction, and the action comprises an action related to customer satisfaction.

19. A system for identifying a restaurant customer: an ordering kiosk for receiving a customer's food order; a camera configured and arranged to capture images to identify the customer; a database storing customer data as non-transitory computer readable media; and a controller programmed with computer executable instructions for comparing the images captured by the camera to the database of stored customer data to identify the customer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein: the customer is a drive-through customer; the camera is configured and arranged to capture images to of a vehicle license plate of the customer; the customer data stored in the database is license plate data; and the controller is programmed with computer executable instructions for analyzing the images captured by the camera to identify the customer's vehicle license plate number, and for comparing the identified license plate number to the stored license plate data.