5 Restaurant Technologies to Have Before Your Grand Opening
As opening day for your restaurant nears, it’s common to start double-checking all the processes and systems you have put in place. You may meet with your employees and managers to ensure they’re prepared for opening night, or give your business plan another glance for any overlooked issues.
But aside from necessary considerations like tables, kitchen equipment, food suppliers, menus, and employees, there’s one aspect of modern operations your business cannot ignore: restaurant technology.
Here is the reality of operating a restaurant today: orders shouldn’t be taken by pen and paper, inventory shouldn’t be tracked in a notebook, and employee scheduling shouldn’t be organized on a whiteboard. These strategies are dated, ineffective, and can hinder your restaurant’s growth.
Technology is essential to modern restaurants. The right restaurant technologies simplify the customer experience and make your job and your staff’s jobs easier.
Here are the restaurant technologies all new restaurateurs should have in place before opening a new location.
1. A POS system
A point of sale (POS) system is the center point of your restaurant. It’s where your servers and cashiers fire orders to your kitchen, and where your staff clears checks for customers. Running this operation with a pen, paper, and cash drawer is not ideal.
Modern POS systems offer a simple ordering process for restaurant employees. Some even provide in-depth analysis through innovative reporting features, making it easier for managers and owners to make data-driven decisions.
When looking for a POS system, consider a cloud-based model for easy access and make sure there is quality customer support and regular software updates.
2. Online ordering
All restaurants can benefit from online ordering. It makes it easier for customers to find you and increases the likelihood of them choosing your restaurant over a competitor. Instead of relying exclusively on third-party sites, adopt an internal online ordering system on your website to avoid high customer acquisition fees.
3. Employee scheduling software
Create an environment where employees want to come to work every day by using employee scheduling software. This allows owners and managers to clearly see who is working, when they are working, and for how long. Choose a user-friendly and easy-to-operate scheduling program that employees can use to request time off and plan their schedules.
4. Inventory tracking
Restaurant inventory tracking software makes the job of tracking inventory much easier. It saves time and money by allowing for more accurate orders and portion control. It also provides visibility into where your money is going and makes it more difficult for employees to steal.
Choose a well-priced inventory tracking system that generates more revenue than it costs to maintain.
5. A loyalty program
A digital loyalty program allows restaurant owners to tap into the purchasing patterns of each customer and deliver personalized offers. It also allows for data collection and analysis to understand customer behavior and preferences.
Choose a loyalty program that integrates seamlessly with your point of sale system for easy implementation.
Restaurant technologies benefit your new business by improving management and customer experience. Make sure your staff is thoroughly trained on every technology being used to minimize complications or mishaps.
Having these five restaurant technologies in place before your grand opening will contribute to the long-term success of your restaurant.
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