Posted by Emily on 2/20/2017 to
Now Ya Cookin'
Incorporating Technology
Since the local farm to table
restaurant now offers delivery, places like it need to know how to keep patrons
(especially Millennials...those
individuals who grew up on the internet and have a phone attached to them at
all times) interested and engaged.
The Menu of Tomorrow
With your
menu being the essential link between you and your guests, enhance that link by
having well designed and easy to read online menu. To increase the chance for
your business to thrive, your menu should be mobile-ready. We are all on our
smart phones all day anyway, right?
Sooner or
later, guests will be ordering from a digital menu rather than paper.
Interactive tablets like Menuvative are
sweeping the industry city by city. The company, Ziosk, has launched the first order
at the table and entertainment tablet that will eventually eliminate
the need for servers. This tablet is equipped with applications for ordering,
news watching, entertainment television and paying at the table. Having
the ability to order food with the touch of a button makes for an easier (and
can we say more fun?!) way to attract new and existing customers.
Digital
menus will save restaurants money on printing cost therefore improving the
overall customer experience. Some restaurants, like Panera
Bread, have already replaced humans with self-ordering kiosks that take
orders and send them to the kitchen. There will be a day where these kiosks
will recognize the faces of repeat customers and their ordering preferences.
Some people will continue to value the personable experience of a human, but we
should be wary about the future of the typical server.
Appsolutely Necessary
Not only
does a fancy updated menu prepare you for the future, but having an app will
take you to the next level. See Dominos and,
of course, Starbucks.
These progressive companies are allowing the opportunity to voice your order
through applications. (What!) Voice ordering also has the potential to
change how restaurant managers order supplies from their vendors; eliminating
the need for bulky spreadsheets and forms to fill out.
Restaurants
are incorporating
the Apple Watch and an application so managers and sommeliers can know
what is happening in real time; this even benefits patrons who can make
reservations and special requests to which communicates to said managers and
sommeliers. Open Table has launched their GuestCenter
iPhone app that allows
restaurant operators to see real time business information. Owners can review
that day's covers, reservations, budgets. etc. even before they step foot into
their restaurant. As Open Table puts it: "it's like having access to the
host stand no matter where you are". Businesses need to adapt to these
technological advances if they want to succeed.
Employees Like Upgrades
Don’t forget
your employees! The majority of your staff will probably define as Millennials
so the value of quickly gathering schedule information is huge. Offer an
electronic scheduling program like When I
Work. This way, they’ll never be able to say “I didn’t know I was supposed
to work today”. Staff will be able to pick up shifts, switch shifts, and
possibly eliminate their tardiness. Another benefit? You get to focus more on
building better menu options for the weekend or what wines you're offering this
month. Seems like a win win for everyone involved in the process.
Automate My Coffee, Please
There is
much talk about automation taking jobs away from humans. The restaurant
industry is not exempt from this claim. Just look at Café X. This "cafe" features a
working robotic barista. Yes, you that heard right. You download their app,
place your order and within minutes you have a fresh, steaming cup of an
Americano. That cup of coffee was made by long white metal arms and an advanced
expresso machine. The robotic café is only located in San Fran and Hong Kong at
the moment, but it will set the tone for what else is to come. China already
has robot
restaurants. San Francisco has a
restaurant void of workers. We say embrace the change.
No matter
how many robotic or technological advances infiltrate the restaurant industry,
there will still be a need for humans. Someone needs to reprogram applications
and robots, right? JES
Restaurant Equipment will be here to help your restaurant transition
when that time comes. And it is sure to be an exciting time! May we put in a
request for technology to eliminate the calories in our favorite foods,
too? That would be great, Sincerely...Everyone!
