Fourth Launches New Restaurant Management Platform
The hospitality tech company Fourth has launched Fourth iQ 3.0, a new management platform for restaurant leaders. The system is designed to provide greater control and visibility over store performance, enabling better management of table allocation, guest flow, and real-time service adjustments.
Fourth, the company behind the new platform, was founded in 1999 and merged with the well-known scheduling software provider HotSchedules in 2019. Today, its technology is used by 15,000 customers in the hospitality and retail sectors across 100,000 locations globally. The new iQ 3.0 platform is designed to move beyond simple data dashboards. Fourth's CEO, Clinton Anderson, stated the goal is to provide "clarity and confidence in where to act," giving leaders an objective, real-time view of performance. At its core, the system uses artificial intelligence to analyze sales, labor, and inventory data to find correlations and risks that might otherwise be missed. It continuously monitors for deviations from expected patterns, allowing management to intervene before margins are significantly impacted. This AI-driven approach helps leaders identify which specific actions truly influence performance. It connects technology usage to measurable outcomes, highlighting where tools are being used effectively and where adoption is lagging. Fourth iQ is already in use by major restaurant operators, including Chili's, Whataburger, and Noodles & Company. By using the AI to optimize labor, Noodles & Company saved over $4 million, while Chili's improved scheduling accuracy by 20%, saving 600 labor hours per week. The system aims to connect this high-level, "above-store" intelligence with on-the-ground execution. An AI-powered app, currently in a limited beta, delivers recommended actions and alerts directly to managers' devices to speed up daily decision-making.
