Technology has become an inevitable part of our lives. The restaurant industry is one of the many business spheres that has been influenced by it. The use of technology in the restaurant space has helped simplify nearly all restaurant operations. Right from the moment when customers place their orders to the moment they provide feedback, everything is now digitized.
The conventional methods revolved around more manual operations and less automated ones. Servers used to note down the orders manually, get the Kitchen Order Tickets printed and then place them at the kitchen counters. It was as tedious as it sounds.
Restaurant Technology
Given the rate at which the restaurant industry is growing, using technology for restaurant functions became essential.
Restaurant POS
A Restaurant Point of Sale system powers almost all functions at a restaurant today. A fully-integrated POS system is a great investment. All major operational activities like order-punching, KOT printing and billing is taken care of by a restaurant POS. Not just that, customer data gets stored whenever their order is punched in. This data is then used for acquisition and retention marketing.
Online Ordering Platform
An online ordering platform for restaurants is a necessity today. A personal website and app help restaurants market better, giving them space to outgrow their competition. It also helps save on commissions that restaurants pay to third-party aggregators.
Table reservation system
Fine-dine establishments believe heavily in table reservations. Gone are the days when customers have to call and book their tables. Now all they have to do is reserve a table online. A table reservation system lets restaurant owners accept and manage all reservations and keep a close check on their guest list.
Inventory Management
The inventory management system notifies restaurant staff before they run out of stock. The quantity of all ingredients can be tracked from the minute they are purchased. This way a restaurant kitchen will never run out of ingredients during busy weekends. Inventory management systems also provide restaurants with critical food cost information, without which estimating the financial health of the restaurant becomes impossible.
CRM Management
Sending regular SMS and Emails to customers, giving them exciting discount offers is a great way to make them come back to your restaurant. The CRM tool automates this process right after a customer signs up for loyalty programs at a restaurant. Captivating loyalty programs can help turn new customers into regular ones if promoted well.
Employee Management
This tool helps track employee attendance, shifts and more. This tool gives complete visibility into each employee’s payroll details, overtime tracking, and timesheets. This way, restaurant staff can be managed well. And there’s no scope for confusion in regards to various staff roles.
Finance and Accounting
Accounting software is a must for any restaurant. It helps determine the Cost of goods sold (COGS), track monthly sales and profits. The restaurant accounting and finance tool also keeps track of and manage taxes.
Marketing Module
Building your restaurant’s app and the website won’t make sense till the time they’re marketed right. Social media marketing is a great way of reaching out to people. If done right, targeted marketing can get you a lot of customers. SMS and emails are also a great way to stay top of mind and retain your valuable customers.
How restaurant technology helps grow business
1. Speedy service
Technology has made restaurant operations more organized. The servers no longer have to run back and forth to the kitchen with orders. Since the manual work is reduced to a great level, the restaurant staff is able to focus on customers better. They get more time to interact with them and make sure they have a good experience.
2. No room for errors
Orders are directly punched into the handheld POS systems by the servers. This reduces the chances of mindless errors. The kitchen staff is immediately notified of the new order with any specific instructions given by the customers.
3. Enhanced customer experience
Customer service is of paramount importance for any restaurant. Point of Sale systems undoubtedly increases the efficiency of restaurants. Orders are processed and completed at a faster rate. The wait-time for customers is reduced and they leave the restaurants feeling happy and satisfied. Not to forget that word of mouth matters a lot in the restaurant industry.
4. Saves you money
A lot of manual processes that earlier required human labor have reduced. In turn, this helps reduce the cost of labor. Kitchen Order Tickets are now automated and don’t have to necessarily be printed. The cost of printing paper KOTs and bills also goes down.
5. Less wastage
Inventory management helps greatly in reducing unnecessary waste that is generated in restaurants. Since it’s all tracked and maintained, there is no surplus purchase of stock.
Technology has seized the day
With food business constantly evolving, it becomes important that you use the latest technology at your restaurant for better performance. The future will see many new technological advancements in the restaurant industry which will further ease the process of running a restaurant.