5 Ways technology is changing the modern restaurant business
While its obvious that getting customers and serving them good quality food is the focus of a restaurant, the businesses success is highly measured on how it operates. Innovators are constantly improving technology for restaurant businesses that helps to streamline operations by making things easier to obtain for both customers and business owners. This so called tech revolution has turned once imagined business solutions to reality transforming the way a business can operate faster, and more profitably. To be in the game you need to keep up with the competitive market you entered into.
There are several ways in which technology is impacting the restaurant industry and we’ve listed the top 5 below.
1.Point of Sale Systems
POS systems are the backbone of every eatery and is a system that every restaurant owner should have for their business. By choosing a POS system you will enable your restaurant to operate more efficiently.
These point of sale systems combine hardware and software specifically designed to streamline your business operations from beginning to end- meaning from ordering of inventory to sales & even payment processing.
When executed properly, a POS system will help track everything from food costs and profit margins to labor costs and best selling items. Whether you’re a small business like a food truck to a 5-star restaurant, everyone should have a point of sale to provide real time analytics that help you make smarter data-driven business decisions.
2.Mobile ordering devices
Your POS is the foundation of technology for your business, but there are many integrations you can link to your POS .
Mobile tablet devices allow employees to take orders tableside rather then walking back and forth to a stationary POS. This is convenient for the staff, and helps get the customers order faster to the kitchen. It also enables less room for error as your staff are taking the orders directly from the customers mouth All in all creating a better customer experience, and less wastage.
3.Tabletop Kiosks
Say goodbye to cash registers and hello to kiosks, the newest in point of sale technology. You might have already seen a few of these free-standing screens at your local restaurant chain, and if you did, you probably noticed the dramatic difference it made to the ordering process. At these kiosks, customers are able to browse the menu, create customized orders, and pay for their meal entirely on their own. This, along with suggestions for up-sells and cross-sells, encourages diners to order more. Having kiosks to handle the transactions allows employees to focus their efforts on back-of-house operations and customer service, rather than having their efforts divided. These kiosks will only continue to increase a restaurant’s efficiency and profitability.
4.Digital table reservationist
Long waiting times are usually a dissatisfaction amongst your restaurants customers. Help keep your hosts and customers happy by using a digital table manager that can be integrated into your POS system. This software can take bookings direct from your website, and help with optimal seating arrangements with your table availability. It will give realistic wait times and notify your customers when there table is ready. This way they don’t need to stay within your restaurant while waiting. A digital reservation manager is the secret to getting customers off on the right foot from the moment the step into the restaurant.
5.Employee scheduling software
Moving into some internal operations that have been effected positively from tehcnology is employee scheduling software. This is becoming more and more popular in the food and beverage industry. If you’re a restaurant manager or owner, you’re no stranger to the weekly challenge of employee scheduling and shift changes requested from your staff.
Who has requested off? Who can only work lunch on Mondays and Thursdays? Who has called out sick and now you need to find coverage? Remembering all these little details or accounting for the unpredictable is not only time-consuming, but it’s also inefficient.
Employee scheduling software solutions are a great way to manage staff and hold them accountable for their shifts.
In the recent years this technology revolution is exploding, there are more and more innovators finding solutions for the restaurant industry. Let us know what you think- Do you have any issues you’d like to see solved by technology?
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See you next week!
Your devoted hostess,
Brittany
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