Can you introduce your business and the solution you brought into the Hospitality Innovation Lab, and explain what motivated you to take part?

At ADECI, we specialise in forecasting for the hospitality industry. Our mission is simple: bring predictability to the hospitality sector.

Hospitality is one of the most dynamic industries in the world. Demand is influenced by hundreds of factors, from weather conditions and school holidays to football matches, concerts, local events, transport disruptions, promotions and seasonal trends. For operators managing multiple sites, understanding how all these variables impact demand and labour requirements has become increasingly complex.

To address this challenge, we developed a machine learning forecasting platform capable of predicting daily sales, covers and product demand for the next 31 days at site level. These forecasts enable operators to make better decisions around labour scheduling, purchasing, production planning and overall operational performance.

Our approach goes beyond forecasting. We integrate sales data with external demand drivers and deliver forecasts directly into the systems operators already use. Whether through our platform, business intelligence tools, ERP systems or workforce management software, our Forecasting-as-a-Service model ensures that accurate forecasting becomes available wherever decisions are made.

This means operators do not need another piece of software. Instead, they can integrate forecasting into existing workflows across operations, finance, HR, marketing and IT, while also supporting the people who ultimately make day-to-day decisions: restaurant GMs.

Although we have been focused on building highly accurate forecasting technology since 2023, during 2025 we noticed a growing interest from UK hospitality operators. Many leading brands were actively looking for ways to improve labour efficiency, reduce costs and strengthen operational planning. Participating in the Hospitality Innovation Lab therefore became an obvious opportunity, allowing us not only to better understand the UK market but also to validate our technology alongside some of the industry's most respected operators.

Which operator(s) did you work with and what challenge or opportunity were they looking to address through the pilot?

We had the privilege of working with two leading hospitality operators: Burger King UK and Azzurri Group.

Together, these organisations represent more than 800 locations and challenged us to demonstrate how advanced forecasting could improve workforce planning and operational efficiency.

Both operators already use forecasting within their businesses and have mature planning processes. However, they recognised there was still room to improve forecast accuracy and, ultimately, site-level profitability.

As Clair Wentzel, IT Director at Burger King UK, stated during our first meeting: "The success of each restaurant depends on forecasting. The better the forecast, the better the margin."

With this in mind, Burger King challenged us to forecast daily sales, transactions and product demand across selected sites. Azzurri Group asked us to forecast daily sales and covers with both seven and fourteen days' notice, enabling a direct comparison between ADECI's forecasts and their existing planning processes.

Can you talk us through the pilot process, including how the solution was implemented, how it worked in practice, and any challenges, surprises or key learnings along the way?

The two pilots followed slightly different paths.

Having previously worked with Burger King in Portugal and Spain, our forecasting models were already well adapted to the quick-service restaurant environment. Within a week, we were generating forecasts for approximately 27 UK restaurants and spent the following weeks benchmarking our performance against existing forecasts.

Once the forecast accuracy had been validated, Burger King challenged us to take the next step: using product demand forecasts to estimate labour requirements and understand the operational value forecasting could generate in practice.

The Azzurri Group pilot provided a different and equally valuable learning experience. Working across 28 sites, we quickly discovered the significant impact local operational factors can have on performance in the UK market. Unexpected restaurant closures, temporary operational constraints and local disruptions all affected demand patterns. We also observed that not all events generate the same impact. Locations near major venues such as The O2 highlighted an important insight: it is not simply the event itself that matters, but the audience attending it. Different events attract different customer behaviours, which in turn influence restaurant performance.

Throughout the pilot, we worked closely with the Azzurri team to validate forecasts, investigate anomalies and continuously refine our models to better capture these nuances.

What results have you seen so far, and how has the experience influenced your solution, your business or your relationship with the operator?

The results exceeded our expectations. We knew the UK hospitality market would be demanding. Operators are highly sophisticated, technology adoption is widespread and forecasting solutions are already well established.

However, hearing from both Burger King UK and Azzurri Group that ADECI delivered some of the most accurate forecasting results they had seen was incredibly rewarding and reinforced our confidence in the value our technology can bring to the market.

Within the Burger King pilot, daily sales forecasting exceeded 92% accuracy at restaurant level, while product forecasting surpassed 90% accuracy. An initial labour simulation suggested potential savings of approximately £1,200 per restaurant per month through improved workforce planning.

At Azzurri Group, daily sales forecasting exceeded 84% accuracy. Given the short duration of the pilot and the operational complexity of the business, the team considered these results highly encouraging and a strong foundation for further development.

Looking ahead, what are the next steps for the project, and how do you see the solution developing in the future?

Although the programme has concluded, our collaboration with both operators continues. There are still areas we want to refine and opportunities to further improve forecast performance. Our immediate priority is to ensure we meet and exceed the expectations of both Burger King UK and Azzurri Group as we continue validating results.

Beyond these projects, we plan to expand our presence in the UK market, supported by the strong validation we have received across different hospitality formats and operating environments.

One interesting outcome of the programme was the positive feedback we received regarding our software platform itself. While our primary focus in the UK has been on providing forecasting capabilities through integrations, operators also recognised value in the broader decision-support tools available within our platform. This is something we will continue to explore as we develop our UK strategy.

Overall, how would you describe your experience of participating in the Hospitality Innovation Lab, and what value do programmes like this bring to hospitality innovation?

The experience was exceptional. The support provided by the L Marks team throughout the programme was outstanding, and we would particularly like to thank Sab for her commitment and guidance throughout the process.

Beyond the operational support, what makes programmes such as the Hospitality Innovation Lab so valuable is the collaborative environment they create. Operators and technology companies are not discussing innovation in theory; they are working together to solve real business challenges.

The programme brings together some of the industry's leading operators and allows them to openly explore new ideas, test emerging technologies and share practical learnings. That combination of collaboration, experimentation and real-world application is what ultimately drives meaningful innovation across hospitality.

In our view, it is one of the most effective ways to accelerate the evolution of the industry.