5 Ways Technology is Reshaping The Restaurant Industry

I have been a witness to the transition of a world where technology was still in its infancy to a point where technology has now become a full-grown adult.

As far as it has existed, technology has always stayed a part of the conversation as a hot topic! On the other hand, the advantages of technology were debatable until recently. But not anymore.

With more and more customers making the shift to digital, restaurants need to follow them in their stride and reassess their business model.

For restaurant owners wondering how technology could scale their visibility as a business? You must keep in mind that building a solid online presence is the key to succeeding in the digital age. However, it calls for a lot more to take the digital leap than simply building an online presence.

Digital transformation has reconfigured consumer behavior during the pandemic, triggering a transformation for restaurants. This has also presented them with their toughest challenge so far. Most restaurant owners are still adapting to the changing face of consumer trends amidst a technology-centric backdrop but I’m about to let you in on how technology can level up your restaurant and streamline your business for the better.

Seamless Ordering Process

At its onset, the digital transformation movement disrupted the restaurant industry and restaurateurs have received a unique opportunity to refurbish their customer experience and if they wish to, maybe even take it up a notch.

If you're a restaurant owner who is unsure how you can tap into this movement, you're in for a surprise!

With technology in the picture, no more do your customers need to wait in long lines. For those who are on the fence about the power of technology and its effectiveness in enabling your digital transformation, you’d be glad to know that taking orders online has now become a seamless experience in the online world.

In this day and age, not only can your customers avoid those long queues to order their favorite food, but they can actually order from anywhere they like without compromising their health and safety in the bargain. QR and contactless dining menus have taken care of the safety concerns that customers face. Moreover, the entire process from the time the order is taken, to the time of delivery can be tracked with live order updates.

Does this make the whole experience more reliable for customers? Most likely! As a restaurant owner, will you succeed if your customers find your restaurant experience smooth and seamless? Absolutely.

Greater Operational Efficiency

For restaurants, their daily operations boil down to getting the right ingredients or ensuring that the stock inventories are always refilled to overseeing that the order is fulfilled without any obstacles. If you think about it, kitchen operations have very little to do with any sort of work in the actual kitchen and more to do with the touchpoints that surround a wholesome experience for the customers.

But this is where technology can really save the day for you. With technology being your knight in shining armor, you can actually organize and efficiently manage your entire restaurant operations by staying on top of your restaurant management.

This is where a dashboard can really share your organizational burdens. Dashboards that are built to help with this exact pain point, can prove to be an extremely effective tool for streamlining business operations for restaurants. Imagine one single place to manage all these aspects of your restaurant operations - doesn’t that sound like the perfect use of technology? I do believe that this echoes the extent to which technology has evolved to make lives easier and businesses more independent.

The use of an ecosystem like this can not only scale up your restaurant’s efficiency from an operational standpoint, it can, in fact, cut down your operating costs significantly and help you save some big bucks.

Manage Your Menu And Discover Your Delivery Zones

In spite of being organized with your stocks, you may occasionally run out of items in your inventory and that’s alright. Customers get that too. So there’s no reason not to let them know before they place their order if you run out of stock for certain items on the menu.

Managing your menu via an online ordering system can show these items to be offline or out of stock. This will help you avoid any kind of conflict or disappointment with your customers.

At the same time, you can also clear out the serviceable pin code areas where you do deliver, and based on geographic locations, you can amend and price your products in sync with this information that will be available in the form of heatmaps on any good direct ordering system. You may not find this feature on a lot of direct ordering systems but with technology, it won’t be an issue to figure this out either!

Better Quality Control

Ever since the Coronovirus battered its way into our lives, I was sure that everything will summon a higher hygiene standard. For an industry as indispensable as the restaurant industry, this couldn’t have been more true.

Today, customers are seeking that these quality standards are met, no matter what. And this has become the uncompromisable reality of how the world has spun on its own axis post-pandemic.

Quality control is no more a choice, it’s an absolute necessity. Lapse on it, and you could risk losing more customers than you can imagine! Do it right and you can instantly attract more customers and increase sales so in that sense, it is not just a prerequisite for your restaurant to thrive but it’s an important asset in your marketing-mix strategy.

All this might sound easier on paper, and it may be. But the truth is, your restaurant needs to get started on those technology-enabled quality control measures sooner than later because you need to watch out for imminent quality concerns, as opposed to doing it manually which you’ll agree is a far more laborious task! Also, as I mentioned earlier, quality control is not just a sensible thing to do for your restaurant, it’s also a shortcut to flourishing your business.

Smooth And Effective Deliveries

The fulfillment of an order is perhaps the most important aspect of the whole ordering experience. Firstly, the delivery fleet is the bridge between the customers and restaurants which is why it is crucial to train your delivery staff.

But thanks to technology, everyone including you and your customers can track orders in real-time and easily check with the delivery staff if there are unforeseen delays with the order fulfillment to make sure that at any point, your experience is not compromised.

With more and more users corroborating that food delivery services have simplified their lives, it is a natural next step to meet their demands for you as a restaurant. If you ask me, planning your deliveries in a manner that can make your restaurant more trusted by your customers will only serve you well.

What The Future Holds

I can’t help but be amazed by how far technology has come and the possibilities it presents for restaurants. The future of technology in the context of restaurants sure looks bright. What has become clear as day though is that the world of technology is changing constantly but along with that consumer shopping patterns are transforming too.

As a restaurant owner, your best bet at succeeding is to stay in sync with your customer's demands and the changing face of technology. Being on your toes and staying ahead of the digital revolution will be a plus point for your restaurant business and help you as a restaurateur in taking your restaurant to a whole new level!