The Presto Pulse of the Industry study indicates a continuing
shift away from dine-in, overall frustration with drive-thru
quality of service, and a positive attitude towards technology.
Over the past two years, dine-in closures forced customers to
switch to takeout, delivery, and drive-thru ordering. Despite
widespread reopening, this trend away from dine-in is expected to
grow further with only 25% of those surveyed more likely to use
dine-in compared to last year. On the other hand, nearly half of
the survey respondents (46%) are more likely to order takeout and
only 22% are less likely to place drive-thru orders compared to a
year ago.
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These are among the findings of the Presto Pulse of the Industry
study (“Presto Pulse”), a survey designed to understand customer
trends and perceptions related to restaurant usage, quality of
service, and receptiveness to automation technology.
Presto, a leader in the restaurant hospitality technology
industry, noted that results of the survey indicate a continuing
shift away from dine-in, overall consumer frustration with
drive-thru quality of service, and a strong positive attitude
towards technology. As drive-thru wait times increase and service
seems to worsen, 70% of the respondents want technologies such as
A.I. voice assistants, personalized menus, and smartphone apps to
help alleviate the pain.
When asked about the quality of their drive-thru experience, the
vast majority of respondents (77%) felt the situation is the same
or worse than last year. Long wait time was identified as the
biggest issue with 27% of respondents saying it has gotten
significantly worse over the past year. Friendliness of service
came in second worst with 18% saying it has become worse. So while
demand is shifting towards the drive-thru, service levels are
becoming worse, leading to greater customer dissatisfaction.
“In many drive-thrus it’s difficult to hear the person taking
your order,” said one respondent. “This leads to frustration and
inaccurate orders.”
“Use technology to make the order process faster,” said another
respondent.
So how can this situation be mitigated? 78% of those surveyed
thought that automation technology is critical for smooth
operations of a fast food restaurant. Most respondents felt that
use of technology at a restaurant makes the experience more
efficient. They also felt that a technology-augmented experience is
more enjoyable, could lead to lower menu prices, and is inevitable.
However, a third of the respondents felt that technology could take
away from some of the personalized service and may make the overall
experience less personal.
“We need a drive-thru with shorter wait times,” according to one
respondent. “Automated order taking”, “designated lane for advanced
online orders”, and “faster payment methods” were some other
suggestions.
Regarding specific drive-thru technologies, customers were the
most comfortable with use of an artificial intelligence (A.I.)
voice assistant for faster ordering, personalized menus, customized
suggestions, and order / payment using a smartphone. Over 70% of
respondents indicated that they would be receptive to using one or
more of these technologies in the drive-thru if they result in
shorter wait times and more efficient service.
Going forward, the company plans to conduct Presto Pulse every 6
months to gauge customer sentiment and identify trends across the
industry. The current survey had 243 respondents representing a
wide cross section of U.S. restaurant customers accounting for
different socio-demographic, economic, and lifecycle variables.
On November 10, 2021, Presto announced the execution of a
definitive merger agreement with Ventoux CCM Acquisition Corp.
(NASDAQ: VTAQ), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition
company (“Ventoux”), that will result in Presto becoming a publicly
listed company. Upon closing, the combined company (the “Company”)
will be renamed Presto Technologies, Inc. and expects to trade on
Nasdaq under the PRST symbol.
To schedule a demo or learn more about Presto’s products, please
contact mktg@presto.com or visit presto.com.
About Presto
Presto overlays next-gen digital solutions onto the physical
world. Our enterprise-grade touch, vision, and voice technologies
help restaurant hospitality businesses thrive while delighting
guests. With over 250,000 systems shipped, we are a market leader
in enterprise-grade labor productivity solutions for restaurants.
Founded at M.I.T. in 2008, Presto is headquartered in Silicon
Valley, Calif. with customers including many of the top 20
restaurant chains such as Applebee’s, BJ’s, Checkers, Chili’s,
Famous Dave’s, Outback Steakhouse, and Red Lobster.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed business combination involving
Ventoux and Presto, Ventoux has filed a registration statement,
which includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, with the
SEC. The proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to stockholders of
Ventoux. This press release is not a substitute for the proxy
statement/prospectus. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS AND OTHER
INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED OR WILL BE
FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO
THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME
AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT
PRESTO, VENTOUX, THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION AND RELATED
MATTERS. The documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC
relating to the proposed business combination (when they are
available) can be obtained free of charge from the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov. These documents (when they are available) can also be
obtained free of charge from Ventoux upon written request at
Ventoux CCM Acquisition Corp., 1 East Putnam Avenue, Floor 4,
Greenwich, CT 06830.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not
intended to and shall not constitute a proxy statement or the
solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to
any securities in respect of the proposed business combination and
shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy or subscribe for any securities or a solicitation of
any vote of approval, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or
transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or
qualification under the securities laws of any such
jurisdiction.
Participants in Solicitation
This communication is not a solicitation of a proxy from any
investor or security holder. However, Ventoux, Presto, and certain
of their directors and executive officers may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the
proposed business combination under the rules of the SEC.
Information about Ventoux’s directors and executive officers and
their ownership of Ventoux’s securities is set forth in filings
with the SEC, including Ventoux’s annual report on Form 10-K filed
with the SEC on February 23, 2022. To the extent that holdings of
Ventoux’s securities have changed since the amounts included in
Ventoux’s most recent annual report, such changes have been or will
be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed
with the SEC. Additional information regarding the participants
will also be included in the proxy statement/prospectus, when it
becomes available. When available, these documents can be obtained
free of charge from the sources indicated above.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements
about future financial and operating results, plans, objectives,
expectations and intentions with respect to future operations,
products and services and expectations regarding the proposed
business combination between Presto and Ventoux; and other
statements identified by words such as “will likely result,” “are
expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimated,”
“believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “outlook” or words of
similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the
current beliefs and expectations of our management and are
inherently subject to significant business, economic and
competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are
difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. Actual
results and the timing of events may differ materially from the
results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.
In addition to factors previously disclosed or that will be
disclosed in Ventoux’s reports filed with the SEC and those
identified elsewhere in this communication, the following factors,
among others, could cause actual results and the timing of events
to differ materially from the anticipated results or other
expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: (1) the
occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could
give rise to the termination of the merger agreement or could
otherwise cause the transactions contemplated therein to fail to
close; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be
instituted against Ventoux, Presto, the Company or others following
the announcement of the proposed business combination and any
definitive agreements with respect thereto; (3) the inability to
complete the proposed business combination due to the failure to
obtain approval of the stockholders of Ventoux or Presto; (4) the
inability of Presto to satisfy other conditions to closing; (5)
changes to the proposed structure of the proposed business
combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of
applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining
regulatory approval of the proposed business combination; (6) the
ability to meet stock exchange listing standards in connection with
and following the consummation of the proposed business
combination; (7) the risk that the proposed business combination
disrupts current plans and operations of Presto as a result of the
announcement and consummation of the proposed business combination;
(8) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the
proposed business combination, which may be affected by, among
other things, competition, the ability of the Company to grow and
manage growth profitably, grow its customer base, maintain
relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its
management and key employees; (9) the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the business of Presto and the Company (including the
effects of the ongoing global supply chain shortage); (10) Presto’s
limited operating history and history of net losses; (11) Presto’s
customer concentration and reliance on a limited number of key
technology providers and payment processors facilitating payments
to and by Presto’s customers; (12) costs related to proposed
business combination; (13) changes in applicable laws or
regulations; (14) the possibility that Presto or the Company may be
adversely affected by other economic, business, regulatory, and/or
competitive factors; (15) Presto’s estimates of expenses and
profitability; (16) the evolution of the markets in which Presto
competes; (17) the ability of Presto to implement its strategic
initiatives and continue to innovate its existing products; (18)
the ability of Presto to adhere to legal requirements with respect
to the protection of personal data and privacy laws; (19)
cybersecurity risks, data loss and other breaches of Presto’s
network security and the disclosure of personal information; and
(20) the risk of regulatory lawsuits or proceedings relating to
Presto’s products or services. Actual results, performance or
achievements may differ materially, and potentially adversely, from
any projections and forward-looking statements and the assumptions
on which those forward-looking statements are based. There can be
no assurance that the data contained herein is reflective of future
performance to any degree. You are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements as a predictor of future
performance as projected financial information and other
information are based on estimates and assumptions that are
inherently subject to various significant risks, uncertainties and
other factors, many of which are beyond our control. All
information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof in
the case of information about Ventoux and Presto or the date of
such information in the case of information from persons other than
Ventoux and Presto, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to
update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments
occurring after the date of this communication. Forecasts and
estimates regarding Presto’s industry and end markets are based on
sources we believe to be reliable, however there can be no
assurance these forecasts and estimates will prove accurate in
whole or in part. Annualized, pro forma, projected and estimated
numbers are used for illustrative purposes only, are not forecasts
and may not reflect actual results.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220719005099/en/
Rajul Misra VP of Marketing, Presto +1 (408) 659-6825
media@presto.com
Ryan Gardella & Michael Bowen Investor Relations
investor@presto.com
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