Modern technology is revolutionizing the restaurant industry. More restaurant brands are adopting digital solutions to automate their operations, enhance customer experience, and improve efficiency. In fact, adopting technology is the top trend many restaurants follow to differentiate themselves in the competitive hospitality industry and succeed.
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As a restaurant owner, you cannot afford to ignore this growing trend – not if you want to secure your business’s future. If you’re considering embracing innovative restaurant technology but are wondering where to start, read on.Â
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We discuss all you need to know about restaurant technology. We also show you how various solutions can improve your restaurant operations to help you get started on the right note.
What Is Restaurant Technology?
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In simple terms, restaurant technology is computerized solutions dedicated to helping restaurant businesses run effectively. These solutions include a range of hardware and software that simplify how restaurant owners and managers like you handle their day-to-day business operations.
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In the past, restaurant management required pen and paper, including calendars and notebooks, to capture data by hand. You needed manual human input to take customer orders, sort transactions, and report about your restaurant’s performance. Today, innovative technology computes and automates all these processes to increase your operational efficiency.
There are two main types of restaurant technology – on-premises and cloud-based software. On-premises software gets installed on your restaurant business premises along with the hardware or infrastructure required for the software to work.Â
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On the other hand, cloud-based restaurant management systems run on remote servers hosted on the internet. With these, you only need a web browser or application to manage your business operations from any location.
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Both software helps you save time, labor, and money, among other benefits.
Benefits of Technology in Restaurants
Some essential benefits of using technology in place of the traditional pen and paper systems include:
Better Customer Experience
Automation reduces overreliance on human input in several aspects of your business. This frees up your restaurant staff, giving them time to focus on providing excellent customer service for diners, increasing customer satisfaction.
Digital tools also enhance the experience of your remote customers. A well-designed website, for instance, lets customers order their favorite dishes or book reservations comfortably from home.
More Efficient Restaurant Operations
Restaurant technology streamlines your business operations. As a result, managing your restaurant business becomes straightforward and faster. These systems also let you monitor your restaurant operations in real time. You can identify and address challenges as they arise.
Higher Employee Satisfaction
New restaurant technology automates staff scheduling and management. Employees receive their working schedules well in advance so they can plan their lives beyond work effectively. For example, they can swap shifts with colleagues in good time to accommodate other personal pursuits. Such adjustments boost morale and increase employee satisfaction.
Increased Profit Margins
The best restaurant management systems help you keep operating costs low while increasing sales. You don’t need to hire accountants or any other extra specialists to achieve the same results. This increases your profit margins.
How Can Technology Improve Restaurant Operations?
Here are a few ways that different types of restaurant management systems can transform your restaurant operations:
Online Ordering Systems
Online ordering platforms improve your business operations in two ways:
- They allow you to expand your customer base beyond your physical location and increase revenue. These restaurant management systems let potential customers order online through mobile apps or your restaurant’s website in the comfort of their homes. The more orders you receive, the higher your sales and revenue.
- Mobile ordering also creates new revenue streams for your business. Apart from getting more customers and making more sales, you may have to introduce food delivery services to facilitate the delivery process of online orders.
Inventory Management Systems
Inventory control is often a complex task. However, the right inventory management tool can streamline the entire process to the point you no longer have to conduct manual inventory checks.Â
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A well-designed inventory management software helps you track your food and beverage stock at the ingredient level to prevent overstocking or understocking.Â
Such level of inventory tracking happens in real-time too. You get automated alerts every time you run low on specific ingredients with the exact quantities you need to restock so you can schedule reorders on time. This minimizes food waste while ensuring your kitchen operations run efficiently without interruptions.
Point-of-sale (POS) SystemsÂ
Modern POS systems are innovative restaurant technology most restaurant owners rely on to facilitate their transactions and sales processes. With these systems, you’ll no longer waste time performing tedious manual calculations to keep your books up-to-date.Â
The latest POS systems work like a computer and cash register in one. They can help you to process payments, print customer receipts, and keep track of crucial sales metrics.
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Modern POS systems also support various payment methods, including credit card payments, so customers have several payment options. They also offer sales reports with accurate insight into customer preferences. You can use this customer data to optimize your operations and maximize profit.
Online Reservation Management Software
For restaurants that accept reservations, this type of management software benefits customers as much as it does the restaurant. Customers make table reservations in advance to avoid waiting for tables, while restaurants manage their online reservations waitlist efficiently. This offers a more organized and reliable experience.
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You can, for instance, set aside tables for online reservations to avoid overbooking. Most reservation management systems have table management tools to help you utilize your restaurant’s space well. Others allow hungry customers to pre-order their meals so they can find everything hot and ready upon arrival.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems
CRM systems enable you to nurture and maintain a good relationship with customers. You can create a loyalty program to reward customers and encourage repeat business.Â
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These systems can also boost your restaurant marketing efforts on social media and other platforms through User-generated content (UGC). For this to happen, you may have to tie your UGC marketing activities to your reward program.Â
For example, customers can get rewards, like free meals or redeemable loyalty points, by sharing their dining experience on their socials.
Employee Management and Accountability Tools
Restaurant staffing solutions transform how you track employee hours and manage their shifts to maximize employee performance. They can also help you track labor costs and keep them low, all while complying with labor laws.
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In addition, the best employee management tools promote better communication among team members, streamlining restaurant operations and increasing employee productivity.
Menu Management Software
Menu management systems, especially those that support QR Code tech, can help you take more orders and increase your sales. QR codes simplify mobile ordering. Customers auto-scan barcodes, access digital menu boards, order, and pay from their mobile phones in minutes.Â
Bluetooth Temperature Sensors
Bluetooth temperature sensors are increasingly popular among top brands in the food service industry. You can use them to detect and address issues in your food warehouses before they become disastrous.These sensors have temperature monitoring and date labeling features to help you maintain high food quality standards and avoid using expired goods.Â
This also helps you to comply with all the required health regulations.
Factors to Consider Before Implementing Restaurant Technology
To successfully choose and adopt the right restaurant technology into your operations, consider the following key factors:
Business Needs and GoalsÂ
What business goals are you trying to achieve with the new system? Is it streamlining restaurant operations, enhancing customers’ experience, reducing operations costs, or increasing sales? Having clear goals will help you find the best solutions for your needs.
Budget and Costs
Determine your budget for adopting and maintaining the digital solution to see if your preferred technology fits your budget. Ensure you consider the initial installation costs and the ongoing maintenance expenses, like software licenses, staff training, and hardware maintenance, to get an accurate estimate.
Staff Training and Adoption
Evaluate your team’s technical skills and the training or support required to use your preferred system. If you need repeated intense training, consider choosing another easier-to-use alternative.
Integration with Existing System
Any new technology you plan to introduce into your business should seamlessly integrate with the systems (including any hardware) you already have. System compatibility saves time and helps you reduce implementation costs.
Vendor Reputation and Support
Only work with reputable restaurant technology vendors with an excellent track record of offering high-quality solutions and a reliable 24/7 customer support team. You want to be sure any tech issues will get fixed fast to minimize downtime.
ConclusionÂ
Since restaurant digital solutions are one of the fastest-growing technology trends, we can expect more tech tools to revolutionize the restaurant industry further.
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Restaurants will continue using advanced technological systems in their operations. They can increase the efficiency of your supply chain, reduce waste, expand your operations, and offer a memorable dining experience for customers. Consumers’ dining preferences will likely also change following the exciting possibilities restaurant technology continues to provide.
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By now, you probably know the digital tools you need to keep up with the growing technology trends in the restaurant industry. And you have the tool to find trusted RMS vendors to work with. If you host events on your restaurant premises, consider using Perfect Venue to automate your event management operations. You’ll save time, increase your event sales, and make more money. Book a free demo with us today to see how it works.
