Outback Steakhouse

New Computer Vision Program Being Tested at Outback Steakhouse Location

As restaurants find new ways to measure employee performance and increase customer satisfaction, security companies like Presto Vision are offering artificial intelligence as the solution.

More casual dining chains are considering artificial intelligence and surveillance technology as tools to monitor and improve employee performance. The most recent example: a restaurant group’s decision to try out computer vision program Presto Vision at an Outback Steakhouse location in the Portland, Oregon area.

The software analyzes footage from pre-existing surveillance cameras to track different sets of metrics over the course of a worker’s shift, WIRED reported. Those metrics include excessively long waits for customers, untidy lobbies, a lack of available hosts and the number of potential customers who leave without being seated and/or greeted, according to a press release from Presto.

The Outback Steakhouse pilot is focused on lobby analytics and may expand to other parts of the restaurant, such as back-of-house, dining areas and curbside service. At the end of each worker’s shift, managers will receive an email of an employee’s metrics that can help them determine issues with employee performance or where to shift resources during busy periods.

“With this product, restaurants can now have access to critical insights on how their stores actually work,” Rajat Suri, founder and CEO of Presto, said in a statement, comparing the metrics system to how e-commerce sites conduct business. “This helps them provide better service, operate more efficiently, and reduce overhead.”

In anticipation of criticism of the surveillance tech, Presto said in its announcement of the Outback partnership that “security and privacy are important aspects” of the system. Data captured by cameras is stored temporarily for analysis and automatically deleted after 30 days, according to the company. The software is not equipped with facial recognition, and does not track personally identifiable information on any individual.

More criticism has been levied about the potential implications of the system, which could lead to staff cuts or decreasing the amount of people on a shift due to the efficiencies discovered by Presto. But executives like Evergreen Restaurant Group CEO Jeff Jones are not seeing it that way, instead promoting Presto Vision as a way for restaurants to retain guests and improve the customer experience.

“Deeper guest interactions and superior hospitality are top priorities for us,” said Jones, whose group operates nearly 40 Outback locations, including the Portland pilot restaurant. “Presto Vision brings cutting edge computer vision technology to the restaurant industry for the first time in my experience. It has the potential to set new standards for service and operations at our franchise restaurants.”

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.