3 Ways Restaurant Technologies are Transforming Dining Establishments
Whether it’s marketing, taking orders, or completing sales transactions, processes in restaurants of all types are changing due to new technology advancements. Here are three of the most significant ways restaurant technologies are transforming dining establishments.
1. Tableside Ordering. Mobile point of sale (mPOS) has provided restaurants with the ability to input orders right at the table, which are immediately communicated with the kitchen. Tableside ordering also benefits your business by allowing wait staff to make this interaction with guests more of a conversation rather than a hurried task before they rush off to a terminal to enter the order. In addition, with a tablet or other mPOS device, wait staff can access information about food preparation or ingredients so they can easily answer any questions guests may have and enter special instructions so the order is just right.
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2. Cloud Solutions. Restaurants are discovering new capabilities thanks to cloud solutions. Cloud-based data analytics capabilities enable restaurant managers to access reporting at any time, from any location with an Internet connection. Cloud reporting can provide visibility into restaurant operations, inventory, and staffing. They also show how well areas of your business are meeting key performance indicators (KPIs) and whether you need to make adjustments or corrective actions. Data analytics reports can also provide insights into sales and your customers preferences and behaviors. This gives you the information you need to respond with the right promotions, engagement, and loyalty strategies that enhance customer experiences and encourage repeat business.
Cloud solutions can also provide you with terminal redundancy. If there is a network failure, terminals can continue to process in standalone mode, using 3G/4G connections for payment approval, and when the connection is restored, sync data with the server. This saves you from dealing with customer frustrations — and lost sales — if an interruption in the network connection occurs.
3. Online Ordering and Delivery. Online ordering has grown in popularity in recent years. Tech savvy customers, especially millennials and Gen Z, often order ahead to save time. Online ordering solutions and mobile apps give restaurants the ability to take digital orders, which are entered right into their POS systems. The time-saving benefit isn’t only for customers — this also frees restaurant staff from taking orders by phone and manually entering them into the system.
With increasing competition for customers’ business, restaurants need to use every tool at their disposal to operate more efficiently and profitably, while at the same time providing great dining experiences customers will return for. Restaurant technologies can help you achieve these goals and discover new ways to improve processes that will help your business thrive and grow.
