This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
The restaurant experience was once solely comprised of human-to-human, in-person experiences. In 2022, with the introduction of ChatGPT, we saw restaurants – and just about everyother industry – look for ways to incorporate artificial intelligence within their customer operations.
A recent eBook by Softarex Technologies highlights all the main aspects of AI usage in restaurant operations, from customer service to back-of-house management. This transformation is not just about automation; it's about creating smarter, more efficient, and more personalized dining experiences.
Last year completely upended how customers ate: Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) heavily relied on drive-thrus for business. Restaurants need to view, analyze, predict and act based on real-time context securing positive customerexperiences. Joe Erlinger, head of McDonald’s U.S.
Purchasing commercial ice and refrigeration equipment can be a significant financial burden on your business. The high upfront costs, ongoing maintenance expenses, and potential equipment obsolescence can quickly eat into your budget. Leasing provides peace of mind, knowing that you are covered if any issues arise with your equipment.
Speaker: Hope Neiman, Chief Marketing Officer of Tillster
However, another under-the-radar resource can be utilized to create a similar degree of connection and drive the same kind of customer loyalty: Digital ordering platforms. With increased visibility into customer behavior, brands become well-equipped to leverage their technology, increase sales, and ensure returning customers.
"The pandemic forced the restaurant industry to reinvent itself overnight, moving from a primarily in-store dining experience to an omnichannel, digital-first business. These changes have become permanent shifts in how they target customers, market themselves, and design their offerings." How Do You Stack Up?
It’s the perfect season for experimenting with new menu items that align with previous seasonal trends. Delve into previous POS data to see which dishes your customers were steering towards during the lead up to Christmas.
With so many people leaving the industry, restaurants stepped up—raising wages, creating new opportunities, and doubling down on the employee experience. Similarly, AI-driven thermostats will optimize indoor climates, enhancing the comfort of both staff and customers while balancing energy usage.
Restaurants and bars are leaning into automation to address staffing shortages, enhance operational efficiency, and meet rising customer expectations for speed and consistency. Personalization Through Data Today’s consumers want experiences tailored to their preferences, and the hospitality industry is rising to meet these expectations.
Not much sours a customer’s perception of a restaurant as fast as unwieldy lines and long waits. As a result, the potential customer who just walked in also knows what to expect, automatically putting them at ease. Those who are forced to wait longer than expected are 18 percent less satisfied with their experience overall.
Whether the business has just staffed up for the holidays or experiences their busy period at a different time of the year, investing in seasonal talent is a crucial part of labor strategy year-round. Perhaps the most important factor in attracting strong seasonal talent is creating a positive employee experience.
The Turning Point: Expanding into CPG Scaling an artisan food business isn’t just about making more product—it’s about ensuring that growth doesn’t dilute quality, customerexperience, or operational efficiency. Space or equipment constraints that prevent further growth in the current setup.
With 59 percent of customers hanging up after calling in and waiting for a minute or less, according to Linga, restaurants are missing out on a lot of business. The average restaurant operating a sit-down dining experience can miss 15-30 percent of incoming calls on average, with that number possibly being even higher during busy hours.
Running a restaurant isn’t just about crafting the perfect plate or creating an unforgettable experience for your guests, it’s about making money. Many distributors will adjust their margins when they see a customer who understands their value. Here’s an example from my own experience. Don’t fall for it.
Bonus Tip : Structure your handbook around the employee lifecycle, covering company culture and recruitment through performance management and termination to ensure a clear, easy-to-follow guide for every stage of the employee experience. Updating Labor Law Posters : Hang the latest posters in prominent employee areas.
Rifrullo Café, a cozy farm-to-table restaurant in Brookline, Massachusetts, hums with customers on a steamy July mid-morning. As a chef, I have a responsibility to do my best to create good environments for people, customers, and the community,” says Marnell-Suhanosky. These restaurants try to tackle them all. Community, environment.
At the same time, a rise in fast-food prices driven by inflation is reshaping consumer behavior, with many customers now treating fast food as a splurge rather than a convenience. The future of dining will center on creating smarter, simpler, and more personal experiences for customers.
Pizza restaurants are poised to continue their evolution this year and incremental changes, especially in the areas of artificial intelligence, operational efficiency and customer preferences, will create both challenges and opportunities for pizzeria owners. This not only frees up labor but also reduces order errors.
However, although a private Wi-Fi network will remain an important connectivity solution for business operations, there is a clear case for the use of cellular as it relates to the customerexperience. Security : Compared to cellular, public Wi-Fi can be insecure, which puts customer data at risk.
Forward-thinking operators will recognize that the right answer is a strategic combination: build customer-facing solutions for differentiation and rely on trusted vendors for infrastructure to drive efficiency and agility. Restaurants that adopt this model will see their most loyal customers returning time and again.
There are different IoT-based solutions on the market designed to decrease downtime, increase energy and operational efficiency and improve overall customerexperience. For years, we've seen restaurants add small table kiosks or tablets that allow customers to pay for food. Connected Equipment.
Just as a chef elevates a signature dish with bold, unique flavors that please the senses, the right glassware can enhance the presentation of drinks and food, creating a visually engaging experience for customers. High-end wine glasses that enhance the drinking experience are filling a market gap left post-COVID.
These tools have become so commonplace that many have become an extension of the restaurant experience — so integrated into dining culture that employees and guests do not necessarily realize how tech-savvy they have become. This shift is breaking new ground for business owners and changing how employees experience their work.
That’s why this approach will help you avoid costly mistakes, save time making important decisions, and make for a less stressful renovation experience. pipes intersecting walls) or wrong equipment placements. 3D design technology allows operators to optimize their space for operational efficiency and customer comfort.
The restaurant experience has quickly become a digital landscape. While a boon for both restauranteurs and customers in the name of increased sales, greater convenience, and streamlined payment processes, these cashless payment systems add new vulnerabilities to already often-targeted point-of-sale systems.
At times the choices may seem insignificant but where customers are concerned nothing is insignificant. At what point, under what circumstances will you choose to sacrifice your standards for time, cost, efficiency, or type of customer? I guarantee customers will be lined up around the block because you chose to be exceptional.
However, with prices rising, customers are choosier about where they spend their money. This has led to a growing appeal for unique dining experiences and fast-casual concepts. While this shift isnt entirely new, it has gained momentum post-pandemic as consumers place greater value on the overall dining experience.
Because of automation and IoT connectivity, these systems require no human intervention to make the adjustments and lifts the burden of energy management from staff to focus on the customerexperience. Any of these issues can severely damage buildings and equipment and even temporarily shut down a restaurant.
“Through expansive experiences that inspire our guests paired with the ambiance of the space and the food on the plate, we’re setting new standards for the industry and creating truly spectacular moments for all who enter our restaurants and bars.”
After all, it’s not just the quality of your food that can keep customers coming back — 73% of diners base their satisfaction on the quality of service they receive. Your staff, especially your restaurant manager, plays a crucial role in the overall dining experience. Hiring the right people can make or break your business.
In fact, leveraging IoT is revolutionizing the sector by optimizing supply chain management, enhancing the customerexperience, and facilitating data-driven decision-making. IoT devices provide real-time data on critical factors, including equipment performance, energy consumption, and production processes.
Tipsy is a real robotic bartender at the Miracle Mile Shops in Las Vegas, mixing drinks for customers as we speak. The Tech That’s Already Here Automation in restaurants isn’t just about robots bringing food to your table or mixing drinks; it’s about redefining the dining experience altogether.
Value Isn’t Just About Price—It’s About Experience Price sensitivity may be at an all-time high, but focusing solely on discounts risks missing the bigger picture. Diners aren’t just looking for the cheapest meal; they’re looking for the best balance of quality, quantity, and experience.
What was once a gradual process turned into a rapid transformation, permanently reshaping how restaurants operate and interact with customers. Customers have now fully embraced the benefits of using restaurant technology, and to keep up with guests evolving expectations, the tech industry is growing at an incredible rate.
To learn how these layouts can help maxmize efficiency while still providing optimal guest experience, Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine received insights from Aleksandra Kaplan, partner at Swan Dive Design Studio. These designs prove that modest size doesn't mean sacrificing functionality or the customerexperience.
. “Restaurant owners should use debt opportunistically to finance long-term investments in the business such as the purchase of equipment and furnishings,” he added. “As tables, chairs and kitchen equipment wears out, it can degrade customer and employee experience. ”
Implementing a proactive holiday security plan ensures the safety of your staff, customers, and business. Train employees to identify phishing attempts and maintain PCI compliance to safeguard customer data and ensure secure payment processing. Their visible presence also reassures customers and employees alike.
But beyond its legal necessity, ensuring compliance with employment laws is critical to shaping a better experience for employees and customers alike. Instead, they should see it as an opportunity to start an important conversation about the employee experience. Restaurants face a multifaceted compliance situation.
Digital not only powers seamless experiences but also unlocks guest data that can elevate hospitality across all touchpoints, both digital and in-person. The customer's needs always come first, even though my prices continue to rise. That's why we instituted lower-priced lunch specials and made other adjustments.
Restaurants need all the help they can get today to entice guests, make them feel safe and comfortable, create a memorable experience and earn their repeat business. Now, more than ever, dining establishments need to delight customers at every touchpoint, gain real-time customer feedback and secure competitive insights.
But what do customers want from the drive-thru experience and how can QSRs better meet those needs? Guests have high expectations for their drive-thru experiences. Customers want seamless interactions where their orders are taken correctly the first time. Brands should first examine their customer journey and pain points.
And because curbside has streamlined the QSR customer journey dramatically, the need for customers to wait in line, order their food and wait for it to be prepared has been virtually eliminated. It’s a good way for restaurant owners to boost sales without raising prices, increasing capacity, or buying more equipment.
The Technology Many payment processors offer high-end technology many smaller restaurants aren’t equipped for. Working with a processor that offers quick and digestible technology with different payment options is a great choice for restaurants, making it easier for the business as well as the customer.
IoT is enabling restaurant employees to focus on what matters most, the customerexperience, by automating manual back-of-house tasks to free up their time. Detecting leaks (pipes or equipment) in the kitchen to prevent costly damage or downtime. minutes annually that could be better spent on the customerexperience.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 49,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content