Restaurant tech supplier ItsaCheckmate has a new name, a new look and a new product.
The company now known as Checkmate unveiled a rebrand on Monday and followed it up Wednesday by announcing that it has acquired VoiceBite, a provider of AI voice ordering technology for restaurants.
As Checkmate, the company marks its evolution from an order integration specialist to an all-around digital ordering supplier for limited-service chains, with products ranging from online and mobile app ordering to kiosks, catering loyalty and analytics.
It said its goal is to provide customers with more flexible digital solutions. It drove the point home Wednesday with the addition of VoiceBite.
"Acquiring VoiceBite allows us to provide a truly unified ordering experience for our restaurant partners," said Mike Bell, Checkmate’s chief of strategy, in a statement.
VoiceBite uses AI to take orders over the phone and plans to launch a drive-thru version of its technology in the fourth quarter. It said its AI can handle 95% of calls without human intervention.
The company was founded just last year, but said that its team has developed voice AI products in the past that are used by hundreds of quick-service restaurants.
"We're thrilled to join Checkmate and combine our advanced voice AI ordering with their solutions and integrations," said founder and CEO Robert Nessler in a statement. "This unification will rapidly accelerate voice AI development for restaurants."
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
It underscores two trends in restaurant technology: consolidation and AI voice.
Checkmate is just the latest company to position itself as a one-stop-shop for restaurant tech as operators look to simplify their tech stacks. And AI voice is becoming a more common feature in those systems because of its ability to automate order taking and upselling.
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