In a recent IFBTA “Meet Our Member” video interview, retail industry veteran Rob Grimes sat down with Richard Newman, Chief Strategy Officer at Scale Computing, to discuss how rapidly edge technology is evolving for restaurants, convenience stores, retail operators, and other multi-site businesses. Their conversation covers everything from smart kitchens and AI to network complexity and the growing importance of edge computing.
At the center of the discussion was a simple but increasingly urgent point: multi-site operators are relying on more technology than ever before, yet too many retail sites are still built on disconnected systems that make it harder to scale, secure, and support the business. As Newman explains, operators are reaching a point where the old way of managing infrastructure is no longer enough.
“Operators are running more applications than ever, but they can’t afford to manage a portfolio of disconnected systems, each with its own choke point.”
That mission matters more now because the role of each individual location has dramatically evolved. A restaurant or store is no longer just running POS and back-office applications. It may also be supporting connected kitchen equipment, surveillance systems, loyalty apps, digital ordering, third-party delivery integrations, and cutting-edge AI-driven applications that all depend on fast, resilient infrastructure.
The challenge isn’t just adding all of these new systems. Rather, it’s making them work seamlessly together in a way that doesn’t create more friction, increase cost, and introduce additional risk.
The location is now a connected technology environment
One of the clearest themes from the conversation was that operators can no longer think of in-store technology as a collection of separate systems. Too often, site locations still add tools on an ‘a la carte’ basis. A kitchen system from one vendor, surveillance from another, payments from another, and a network that was never really designed to support all of it together.
Such a fragmented model creates a series of blind spots. It also limits the value operators get from the technology they’re already paying for.
Newman points to smart kitchen systems as one example. If connected equipment is only sending information back to the vendor, the operator isn’t getting the full operational value of that data. “It’s really much more about ownership of that data and being able to make the data that you’re getting out of the smart kitchen systems actionable much more quickly,” he says.
The security implications are just as critical. As more devices connect inside the four walls of a store, every one of them becomes a potential point of compromise. Newman was even more blunt about what operators should expect if they don’t take a more proactive approach: “you can’t count on vendors securing those systems themselves.”
Rather than treating network infrastructure and compute as separate decision points, Newman sees them as part of the same operating foundation. Operators need both. They need a network that’s smart enough to prioritize critical traffic, support emerging applications, and maintain uptime. They also need local computing power that allows systems to run reliably, even as the environment becomes more software-defined.
Why cloud-only is giving way to cloud+edge
Another major takeaway from the interview was Newman’s view that the future of multi-site infrastructure won’t reside exclusively in the cloud. Instead, it will be cloud plus edge.
This shift is already underway. Many operators have moved away from older client-server setups and embraced cloud-based applications. But as Newman points out, the reality inside each store location is more complicated. Even so-called cloud systems still depend on technology running locally. If connectivity drops and there’s nothing at the edge to support operations, the business is exposed. “It’s going to be cloud plus edge. That’s the new architecture.”
The viability of the cloud+edge model becomes even more evident as operators begin deploying AI, machine learning, and computer vision. While these technologies create major new opportunities, they also create new demands. For instance, with vision AI, the data adds up fast. Shipping it to the cloud and waiting for results simply doesn’t work in practice. Processing needs to happen closer to where the data is being generated.
Newman makes the case that in this context, edge computing is becoming essential. Not because it’s trendy, but because it solves a very practical business problem. Operators want to add innovation without filling each location with more servers, more boxes, and more complexity. Modern edge platforms make it possible to consolidate workloads, support both legacy and next-generation applications, and create an overall more resilient environment.
He also makes a key observation about the hidden cost of complexity. “The more complex a system is, the more susceptible it is to entropy and degradation," he says. For operators investing in AI and other new capabilities, that should be a warning. The real question isn’t just what new applications to buy next, it’s whether the underlying infrastructure is ready to support them.
The full IFBTA interview is worth watching for anyone thinking about the future of restaurant, retail, or convenience store technology. It’s also a timely reminder that innovation at the edge only works when the foundation is strong enough to support it.
To learn more about how Scale Computing supports multi-site retail operators, visit the Scale Computing Retail page or connect with our customer success team to schedule a demo.