Orquest wins QSR Technology Innovation and Retail Workforce Innovation

• Orquest takes home QSR Technology Innovation of the Year and Retail Workforce Innovation Award at the 21st Annual Retail Systems Awards.
• The wins build on a consistent track record of UK industry recognition: Retail Systems Awards 2024, RTIH AI in Retail Awards 2026, Retail Technology Show 2024.
• For a company that started inside QSR and retail operations, the recognition reflects the last years’ work and real impact, and it shows.

Orquest won both the QSR Technology Innovation of the Year and the Retail Workforce Innovation Award at the 21st Annual Retail Systems Awards, held in London on 17 June 2026.

It is not the first time the UK industry has taken notice. The recognition started with the Retail Technology Show Innovation Award in 2024 and has continued since. And for a company that started inside QSR and retail innovation, this one means a lot.

Why we built Orquest

The starting point was simple: scheduling a restaurant or store team well is hard, and most tools were not built for it. Too many variables, too much complexity, too little margin for error. Orquest Smart Planning was built to solve exactly that through AI-driven demand forecasting, precise workload calculation and automated scheduling optimisation. Not adapted from a generic HR tool. Developed from the ground up as QSR and retail scheduling software for the pace and complexity of restaurant and store operations.

Today it runs across 90+ countries with top global retailers and QSR brands. McDonald’s in 40+ markets, Burger King, KFC, Dior, Kiabi, H&M and others.

The results speak for themselves. For Arcos Dorados, the world’s largest McDonald’s franchisee, Orquest delivers 1% in annual labour savings across more than 2,000 restaurants. Managers get back 90% of the time they used to spend building schedules. At McDonald’s Qatar, overtime dropped by 94%. None of it at the expense of service quality.

What real operational impact looks like

It is not just the technology. It is its impact inside a real operation.

“The heart of the business is in the kitchen, in production, and if we can align how we position employees, how we do scheduling based on product demand, that’s the ideal world. With Orquest, we’re achieving it.”
Darío Luksemberg, HR Corporate Director, Arcos Dorados (McDonald’s).

“It’s not just an operational solution. It’s a strategic lever that allows you to scale, optimise resources, and build an organisation centred around people.”
Darío Acuña, Chief Sales Officer, Kiabi

Where we go from here

“Being in the room when Orquest was announced winner of QSR Technology Innovation of the Year and Retail Workforce Innovation Award was a moment I will not forget. For those of us working in the field every day, this confirms what our clients already know: this is not another software tool. It genuinely changes how restaurants ans stores operate.”
María Torres, Regional Sales Director, Orquest.

See the full list of 2026 Retail Systems Awards winners.

We are proud of the recognition. But what drives us is the same thing it has always been: operations that run better, teams that work better, clients that scale. That is what we have always been focused on and what we will keep building towards.

About Orquest

Orquest is an award-winning QSR and retail workforce scheduling solution built for restaurant and store operations. AI-driven demand forecasting, precise workload calculation and automated scheduling optimisation, developed to help global brands run leaner operations, reduce labour costs and build high-performing teams. Fully compliant with local labour regulations across every market. Operating in 90+ countries, with clients including McDonald’s, Burger King, Arcos Dorados, Kiabi and H&M. Book a demo.