Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — The Pharr Economic Development Corporation (Pharr EDC), in partnership with the UTRGV Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center (ECC) and Bob Lozano of Restro Tech, launched its Trade & Tech initiative during a Tech & Trade Session held June 22, 2026, at the Pharr Global Business Hub.
The event brought together business owners, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, logistics professionals, and community leaders to discuss artificial intelligence, automation, and emerging technologies in the restaurant industry. The program included a roundtable presentation by F&P Group and Restro Tech.
During an interview at the event, Bob Lozano, CEO of F&P Group, discussed how his company uses artificial intelligence in its operations. Lozano said F&P Group operates Dairy Queen, Schlotzsky’s, and Cinnabon locations and has owned and operated more than 50 restaurants.
“Today I think we’re meeting mostly on technology,” Lozano said. “So, we started something called restaurantech. So we’re exploring restaurant technology from all facets, and we’re also building products with AI that are helping manage our company.”
Lozano said his company is using technology to improve efficiency and support business operations. “We’re just one operator out there that’s trying to do a good job, but we’ve owned and operated over 50 restaurants, and we’re just trying to find better ways to be able to do that,” he said. “Today we’re sharing how we’re doing that, and then be able to just encourage people to use more technology in their business.”
Asked how artificial intelligence benefits businesses with multiple locations, Lozano said the technology can support employees and improve productivity. “AI is a great way to be able to empower your people,” he said. He described examples ranging from communication tasks to data management and said AI can reduce processes that previously took hours to complete.
“We’re right now exploring things in a lot of different facets of our business that used to take us several hours down to really minutes and seconds,” Lozano said. He added that users must verify results and apply the technology responsibly because “it’s very powerful.”
Lozano said artificial intelligence performs better when it has access to more information and is developed for specific purposes. “The information, the data that you give it, AI is going to respond to you differently,” he said. “AI does work better when it has more data, and it’s built out more for specific tasks.”
He also said artificial intelligence tools are increasingly accessible to businesses of all sizes. “I think what people aren’t completely understanding is that AI is accessible to everyone,” Lozano said. He explained that businesses can begin using AI tools without necessarily purchasing specialized products and can apply them to existing business functions.
Discussing the future of the technology, Lozano stressed the importance of responsible use. “Keep it simple, use it for things that you do every single day, and learn how to do what you already do just better,” he said.
Victor Perez, President and CEO of the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, said the Trade & Tech initiative is intended to connect businesses with resources, industry expertise, and practical examples of how technology can support growth and competitiveness.
Lozano encouraged business owners to learn more about AI applications through Restro Tech, which shares information on how technology is used in areas such as accounting, treasury management, and sales reporting. “If you understand your business and you understand what you do, this is only going to help you perform better,” he said.
The June 22 session marked the start of Pharr EDC’s Trade & Tech initiative, which is designed to connect businesses with information, resources, and discussions focused on the use of technology across multiple industries.
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