Smart technologies for food service in retail

Automation, digitization, and customer experience as success factors

01.08.2025

How can food service processes in retail be made future-proof? This question was the focus of the Food Service Innovation Hub at EuroCIS 2025. Exhibitors demonstrated how digital solutions and AI-powered technologies can enable efficient food service operations and how customer experiences can be enhanced with added value.

A young man with blond hair, wearing a black sweater and a shirt collar underneath, smiles openly at the camera.

Maximilian Eder from WIESHEU demonstrates how automation solutions can make baking processes more efficient.
© beta-web GmbH

Automation in the baking process: Boosting efficiency despite staff shortages

Maximilian Eder, Project Manager Automation at WIESHEU GmbH, presented a fully automated solution for the baking process – from loading the trays to the finished product. For retailers and bakeries, this means: less staffing required, consistent quality, and greater efficiency in day-to-day operations. Especially in times of skilled labor shortages, smart automation solutions are crucial. “Manual baking is extremely demanding in reality – every minute counts, or the product gets burnt,” Eder explains. Technologies like those from WIESHEU ease this pressure and free up time for tasks such as customer service.

A woman wearing glasses and a pink top laughs heartily and looks slightly to the side.

Stefanie Boeck from Hoosy is committed to enabling restaurateurs to use digital tools that communicate seamlessly.
© beta-web GmbH

Real digital transformation instead of isolated solutions in food services

Stefanie Boeck, co-founder of Hoosy e.V., also emphasized: Retail is facing numerous challenges – from high costs to reducing food waste. Franchise operations, in particular, often suffer because systems like POS, ordering tools, and staff scheduling software don't communicate with each other. The Hoosy association aims to dissolve these digital silos and support companies in transitioning to digital operations step by step and with a clear plan. “A bad process remains a bad process – even if it's digital,” Boeck warns. That’s why she recommends: first analyze what’s needed, don’t hesitate to seek help, and then optimize gradually.

Food service in retail is a megatrend with huge business potential, whether it's in-store cooking or baking as an event, drinks for a cozy atmosphere, or convenience offerings to go. Have we whetted your appetite? You'll find answers to your questions and innovative solutions for your needs at EuroShop in the Food Service Equipment dimension from February 22-26, 2026.

A man wearing a purple baseball cap with a white “m,” a jacket, and an event lanyard smiles warmly.

Using AI-powered storytelling, Christoph Digwa from Menoovo brings emotional customer engagement to the digital menu.
© beta-web GmbH

AI in customer service: Personalized experiences through storytelling and AI recommendations

Christoph Digwa, CEO of Menoovo, demonstrated the role artificial intelligence can play in modern customer service. His solution gives the menu a voice – guests receive short video clips via QR code, featuring the chef’s recommendations or the story behind a product told by the winemaker. Emotional storytelling elements build a stronger connection to the product and simultaneously increase customers’ willingness to buy, Digwa promises. In the background, a proprietary AI sommelier recommends suitable beverages for meals. Multilingual menus, video subtitles, and product descriptions are also generated by AI – simple, scalable, and flexible.

Food Service Innovation Hub at EuroShop 2026

All the solutions showcased share a common goal: to simplify processes, reduce costs, and simultaneously improve both quality and customer experience. The special area at EuroCIS 2025 made one thing clear: The future of food service in retail is digital, interconnected, and customer-centered.

Looking ahead to EuroShop 2026, Stefanie Boeck reveals: “We’re already working on the next edition of the Food Service Innovation Hub – it will be bigger, with even more technologies and exhibitors. We’re very excited.”

EuroShop 2026 will take place from February 22 to 26 in Düsseldorf and will offer curated special areas like the Food Service Innovation Hub to provide targeted insights into key industry trends. It’s where innovative solution providers, professionals, and retail experts come together – an ideal platform for focused knowledge exchange and networking.

Portrait of Julia Pott, member of the EuroShop editorial team, with shoulder-length brown hair, hoodie and open smile; copyright: beta-web GmbH

The portrait was AI-generated.

Author: Julia Pott | EuroShop.mag

Julia Pott has been working as an editor in the retail sector for eight years – initially at the retail magazine iXtenso, at times also as editor-in-chief. Today, she is responsible for the concept, editorial plan, content and design of the online magazine EuroShop.mag on behalf of the EuroShop and EuroCIS trade fairs. Her contributions combine editorial depth with a feel for trends and topics that drive the retail sector.