10+ Technologies to Improve Your Restaurant Operations

Restaurants are getting updated since the pandemic struck the industry. It affects the overall operation and also the approach from the audience. 

According to the Restaurant, technology industry report says, customers, connect convenience with technology.  They need more of an easy process in ordering and payment. 

Technology has become a big part of the business industry. Customers are looking out for restaurants that can offer the easiest and smooth experience. 

Whereas restaurants are opting more for innovations. As per the National restaurant association, 32% of operators believe that they need to upgrade their restaurant technologies.

To update the technology, here are some of the best essential technologies that you must-have for your restaurant operation. 

How Can Technology Help In Improving Restaurant Operations?

With the help of technology, you can easily streamline your work and keep the service consistent to your customer.

But several restaurants are still not sure how technology can make their operation better. To know how effective it can be, here are a few points for you. 

Seamless And Smooth Order Taking 

Taking orders can be messy especially when the chances of getting wrong or misheard orders. Not only can you lose your customer but it will impact badly on your image too. 

Taking orders can be easy and smooth with the help of technologies like cloud-based or POS software.  They work for every kind of device, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. 

They easily take orders, build loyalty rewards, and make it hassle-free for both parties. 

Pro Tip: Offer online booking or choose the menu. It will save time, and when customers arrive at a restaurant, they will get their order done to eat. 

Improve The Front line 

When it comes to the restaurant, there are tons of daily tasks that should be done. It includes lots of stuff that ensures your complete day goes smoothly. 

You can use technology for making it better, less time taking, and be effective in results. 

• Technology can help in offering attractive menus to display in the digital menu card. It gives much detailed information and appeals to the visuals. 

• The kiosk helps in letting customers order on their own, which reduces the requirement of waiters.

• It helps in enhancing customer services based on their past experiences. 

Better Marketing & More Engaging Customer 

If you are not visible to the customers, you can’t sell anything to them. 

It’s important to communicate with your customers religiously to promote your restaurant. Well, you get offline options to do that but using online channels gets you better and more effective results.

• You can use Google to list your restaurants. With this, you can get your potential customer who might be looking for your restaurant online. 

• With the help of marketing tools, you can get the marketing campaign scheduled with easier, and hassle-free solutions.

• Launch your SMS marketing and email to get more information about your customer. 

• Intriguing your restaurant with popular food delivery platforms like Foodpanda, Zomato, etc helps in delivering the food to the doorstep. 

Image source: WPbusinessreviews

Also, people easily get in touch with your restaurant, order, and enjoy their experience. 

Customers can leave their experience reviews on delivery platforms, and you get space to get in touch with them. 

It boosts interaction, and people feel much more connected, which helps in building trust. 

Creating a website and social media pages can boost people’s engagement with your restaurants. Leaving reviews and sharing the experience turns out much better for everyone. 

Pro tip: you can launch new dishes and business campaigns related to specific seasons or trends to attract more people to visit your restaurant 

Must-Have Technologies For Your Restaurant To Improve 

The restaurant industry changed, and it keeps doing it at a rapid pace. Due to evolving technology, restaurants are upgrading their business to attract more customers. 

For the customers, it becomes easier to get what they want to eat and process the whole experience.  

Well, restaurants are using the technologies for inventory management and staff scheduling.  

But there are lots of other aspects where using technologies can improve the restaurant option and shopping better. 

1. Staff Scheduling 

Image source: sling 

For restaurants, scheduling their staff is one of the greatest hassles. Staff management is important, and not doing it properly can lead to more unsatisfied customers. 

With the apps, you can do the availability of your staff and do swapping in shifts. 

It keeps everyone connected and those who need vacation time. Staff can know where to connect and how to communicate easily with others.

Lots of apps allow scheduling data and getting information related to sales for a better process. 

Takeaway: Scheduling makes it easier, saves time, and avoids any kind of misunderstanding that is caused due to a lack of communication. 

It becomes easier for the owner to arrange their staff for better services. 

2. Mobile Ordering & Payment 

Mobile payments and orders are the ideals for restaurants, especially when it comes to today’s generation. 

Most of people are using their phones, and it’s much simpler for them to get their food order by phone instead of going to other options. 

Image source: Pinterest

In 2017, payment through mobile was boosted by 75%. For people, it’s faster and hassles-free to mobile, and it speeds up dramatically. 

However 2019. Several stores adopted the mPOS system to give better security and make it more convenient. 

Well, for restaurants,  food apps are giving better orders and paying. It also reduced the touchpoints so they could serve better. 

Takeaway: Mobile ordering and payment are ideal, especially for those who don’t want to visit restaurants. By this, you can target both kinds of customers. It gives more personal experience. 

3. Augmented Reality  ( AR)

AR or Augmented Reality is the biggest trend going. Through technology, restaurants are giving a change in meal experiences.  

Image source: Medium

With this AR, restaurants can create a live preview of their menu.  Not just it gives a 3D image of what you chose but it also shows items they are looking at. 

Augmented related gives a visual experience which is helpful for the buyers to choose what they want. 

It also reduces the cumbersome and improves the experience too. 

4. Text Notification 

Image source: Tatango

Using the notification system can help in alerting the customer about when their table is ready. It saves them from waiting in long lines and gives them enough time to do their work. 

Imagine having long lines and clogged-up waiting areas to the restaurant, it will properly scare the people who might be your potential customers. 

Takeaway: Having text notifications can save so much time and frustration that customers feel. 

Also, you can directly offer a promo, discounts, etc. 

5. Artificial Intelligence 

The big chain of restaurants to individual and independent restaurants, all aim to collect personal data and choose more options. 

By using AI, companies can get food trends and understand consumer habits. 

With this data, the restaurant can develop new items and products. 

Plus, it can help in understanding spending habits and other important things. It comes with a built-in loyalty program so the customers can purchase again. 

6. Digital Inventory 

For restaurants, inventory management is tricking and consumes tons of time. Also, it costs too much to track and do situations like employee theft.  

For a digital inventory, management is going to be key trend.

It gives speed to inventory-related reports. Digital inventory can help in notifying the manager about what to order and what to not. It keeps the inventory stock for the orders. 

The advanced system has its POS system integrated. 

With this,  you can know when drinks are getting overpoured, which will simplify the process.

Takeaway: Digital inventory gives access to what you have and what you require to add. 

Managing the inventory becomes much simpler, and you will never run out of special ingredients because you already have the reports ready of what you need to purchase.

7. Self-Serve Kiosks 

In several chains, Kiosks are used. But in 2019, a number of kiosks were used for ordering and checkout. It also came to the mainstream. 

Image source: Lsretail

It helps in reducing the time, and people don’t have to wait long in queue time. This helps in ordering more precisely and getting more customer satisfaction. 

As per tee stats, 95% of results believe that their business improved after tech use. And  65% are ordering directly from the kiosk. 

For customers, self-serve kiosks speed up the ordering process. Also, attaching it to mobile POS software and it can be implemented to streamline the services and processes. 

Takeaway: it gives time for the restaurant to focus on food and delivery, And it avoids chances like wrong orders since the customers are the one who is choosing directly. 

8. Delivery Tracking 

Delivery is important and one of the reasons why the customer decides to continue to purchase or not. 

Image source: Pinterest 

Especially in the restaurant industry,  delivery on time and with safety is the utmost crucial part. 

As per the recent report coverage by an Edinburgh firm in Scotland, people will get more of the technology, including GPS tracking, so they can track their food orders in real-time. 

Also, it will display related information.

For the restaurant, having delivery tracking can cut lots of tension. It can not only tell the customer about where the food is but also the restaurant will be updated too. 

9. Restaurant Reservation System 

The reservation is a hassle process, especially for the customers. 

Well, lots of businesses are now taking online reservations to streamline the overall process as well as keep it simple for the staff. 

It helps in tracking and managing the table for reservations. Also, it includes lots of different channels, which keep the work much more effective for both.

Takeaway: The reservation becomes easier for the customer and it gives a platform so the owners and staff can focus on other important things. 

10. Free Wifi 

Wifi is underrated yet highly used technology that helps significantly make your guest experience better. 

Image source:toomanyadapters

Free wifi attracts people and also you get the traffic that will purchase things. 

For example, since lots of people watch matches on their phones, free Wi-Fi will attract them to sit in your restaurant and enjoy their matches. 

Of course, they are not going to sit and go, It will increase the interaction, and they might end up ordering. 

Free Wi-Fi can lead to high sales revenue if you know how to do it right. Lots of people who need a place for work can choose your venue, especially during the slow days. 

Takeaway: make sure your Wi-Fi services are credible and strong. Slow networks can make your customer irritated, and there might be a chance that they won’t come back. 

11. Kitchen Display System 

Image source: POSist

Forerysanst handling kitchen and customers together can be a hassle.  Especially during high peaks, the kitchen gets hectic and becomes a mess. 

Well, with the help of a kitchen display system, you can use it for ordering the staff to cook the order along with the time they left. 

It gives much neater instructions along with simple and effective organization at work. 

With this, the staff will know which order should be prioritized and what they require to do it. 

12. Interactive Tables

Image source: therailmedia

People get bored when they are waiting for their orders to deliver. To make it less boring, you can upgrade your table to an interior one. It’s a giant tablet looking like it helps customers to browse. 

Similar to digital menu cards,  people here can browse the orders, play games, and set the mood.

13. Digital Menu 

In restaurants, people are opting for digital menus instead of paper ones. With this, the digital menu can be shared on touchscreen tables,  menu boards, or iPad menus. 

Restaurant owners, as well as managers, have easy access to the menu. They can switch, change, and add specials. 

It can be easier for the restaurant to change prices, add discounts, or change according to the plans.

Image source: Quora

Also, those restaurants that are using the iPad menus have higher sales noted. It can be due to several factors such as menu analytics, suggestions in food pairing, and feature items. 

It offers an easier and hassle-free view of the menu analytic reports. The managers can get an idea of what items their customers are viewing the most and which are not performing well. 

As for restaurants, it reduces the costly process of reprinting new menus. 

Takeaway: Digital menu gives access and easy change whenever you want to add new dishes depending on seasons, occasions, or special days. 

The Digital menu also looks appealing to the customers and by this, you can get what your customer is looking for. 

Reasons Why Technology Is Turning Into Game Changer For Restaurants 

All types of restaurants, whether it’s quick service or multiple fancy restaurants. Technology is playing a major role, and it turns out a game-changer for the industry. 

Since the competition is increasing, the restaurant industry is looking out for options that can help in thrive them. And technology is becoming a great help. 

If you are still struggling with whether to choose or not, here is why it’s recommended. 

New Innovation & New Reach 

In the height of competition,  restaurants require more to offer along with a good food experience. Customers have lots of expectations, and those who are fulfilling them thrive. 

These days customs are more toward a healthy lifestyle, brand loyalty,  community engagement, etc. Technology is making it easier for them to connect and order their food. 

Even if it’s free Wi-Fi to easy mobile payment services, it’s helpful for customers to enjoy the experience. 

As for the owners, technology helps in understanding their customers and increasing their reach. This is helpful to know what they should offer to create more loyal customers for them. 

Data Analytics For Better Insight 

Data analysis software helps understand more about the customers, including the dining peak, popular products,  peak serving times, etc.

It can help in gathering the email and re-engagement program via mobile. Also helps in targeting the customers by offering discounts, promotions, LTOs, etc. 

Data analytics software records the previous order made by the customers. Withs such data, the offers, and promotions can be more direct and relevant to individuals. 

Loyalty Program To Reward 

Understanding customer behavior is a tricky thing. However, thanks to loyalty program applications, it becomes much easier to track it. 

Image source: Limetray

With this, restaurant owners can understand what their customers prefer in meals,  their purchase habits, special offers, etc.

Loyalty program applications also help in making the order and paying options to create the audience base.

This helps in engaging more customers and allows data as well as content to go directly to them. 

For long-term relationships, these are important tactics to follow. 

Cloud-Based Applications For Access

Accessibility is the key when you are looking for a smooth workflow and detailed information. The cloud-based applications allow easy accessibility to get important documents on time.

Also, it includes playing music and getting files through different devices like mobile, tablet, and desktop. By this, you can easily restore your important information and access it remotely.

This helps in reducing the overall cost and maintenance, which makes it easier for employees to share it.

Why Is Technology Not Working For you?

There are tons of technology, apps, software, etc., and sometimes even though you choose the best, it doesn’t affect you that well.

The most common issue is implementing such technology in your restaurant.  The owners need to understand how to use it so it can deliver the best results.

A few basic mistakes you can make are – 

Not Considering Your Team

When you are adding new technology, don’t let your staff in the dark. It can be a major issue when your staff don’t know how to handle the new system and understand the functions. 

It can make your work messier, and customers feel frustrated too. It’s important to involve the team when you implement the new system. 

Train them well and make sure it’s easy for them to handle it. 

Adding More Than You Handle 

Upgrading your restaurant to become technology savvy is important. However, find the balance between how much will work for you. 

• Don’t forget that that face to face interaction is still considered the best way. So the important point here is to find the balance between both. 

• Upgrading your restaurant to POS,  customer experience software, and employee management can do the basic over. And maybe that’s what you all need to start with. 

• Don’t add tons of new things that you don’t know how to help you.  Focus on areas that need extra help when you are planning to add technology systems. 

Not Considering Future 

Adding technology is not just about how things will handle now; it will impact all of your functions. 

It’s important to understand if you need it for the future or not. Or what impact will help you in getting the best results? 

Make sure you consider all the points before you make the purchase. 

Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs)

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