Brewing the Future of Retail Tech with Vikram Badhwar

How do brands like Starbucks and McDonald’s actually run the technology that powers thousands of stores around the world—and what does AI really change?

In this episode of TechBytes, recorded live at the National Retail Federation’s NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in the Foodservice Innovation Zone, host Rob Grimes sits down with Vikram Badhwar, Director of International Technology at Starbucks and member of the IFBTA board. Vikram brings 15+ years of experience across McDonald’s, Nando’s, KFC, and Starbucks to unpack how global restaurant and retail brands think about technology, scale, and innovation.

They start with Vikram’s current role leading Starbucks International from London, where his team is responsible for retail orchestration and data platforms across thousands of stores. Vikram explains how Starbucks Digital Solutions provides a tech stack—POS, orchestration, rewards, mobile ordering, delivery, and apps—that can scale to 7,000+ international locations while still allowing for local flexibility.

From there, the conversation gets tactical:

• How McDonald’s used a just-in-time production model and 100+ integrated applications to deliver mass customization at drive-thru speed.
• Why mobile order & pay was born in South Korea before scaling to North America and beyond.
• The role of APIs and “plug-and-play” ecosystems in stitching together best-of-breed solutions across hardware, software, and services.
• How global brands strike a 70/30 balance between global consistency and local innovation—common back-end platforms with localized payments, UX, and integrations.

Rob and Vikram also walk the floor at NRF conceptually, talking about:

• The Pit Stop installation featuring voice AI, conveyance, kiosks, and more.
• Emerging use cases for computer vision in production, front of house, and drive-thru optimization.
• The real opportunities for AI: not just chatbots, but supply chain optimization, demand forecasting, labor scheduling, and in-store support tools like Green Dot Assist that help baristas on the job.

They close by digging into AI literacy, change management across diverse cultures and age groups, and how to preserve hospitality and personalization even as automation accelerates.

If you’re in restaurant, retail, or hospitality tech—or just curious how your latte, loyalty points, and mobile app all come together—this episode offers a candid, inside look at what’s next.

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