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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.
"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?
As we step into 2025, the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industries are experiencing transformative shifts driven by evolving consumer preferences, technological innovation, and economic dynamics. As we navigate these changes, one theme stands out: innovation.
With so many people leaving the industry, restaurants stepped up—raising wages, creating new opportunities, and doubling down on the employee experience. Still, keeping a steady team remains the top challenge, highlighting the need for ongoing innovation in restaurant workforce management.
Even though local and state orders prohibiting or severely restricting restaurants’ ability to serve customers and generate and revenue, standard business liability policies did not provide coverage, and many policies had a pandemic exclusion. The pandemic made speed, accuracy, and seamless ordering non-negotiable.
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.
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.
The QSR industry is heading into 2025 at a crossroads of innovation and expectation. 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.
This is an innovation that consumers appreciate: 42 percent of diners have already used kiosks , and one in every three people say they would like restaurants to have more kiosks available. Back-office digital innovations are also helping restaurants manage costs and make the most of their workforce. Given that three-quarters of U.S.
This wave of mergers and integrations will drive innovation and better support the evolving needs of the restaurant ecosystem. From curated menus to unique perks, these offerings deepen customer loyalty and provide operators with a predictable revenue stream. This evolution will redefine the dynamics of quick-service dining.
The following principles are adapted from the author’s new book, Leading the CustomerExperience. Innovation, the late Peter Drucker pointed out in his landmark book, The Discipline of Innovation, is the “effort to create purposeful, focused change in an enterprise’s economic or social potential.”
. "Top performers are personalizing and using data to segment their customer database," Kristin Lynch, Senior Director of Restaurant Strategy for Paytronix Systems. "They "They are differentiating, delivering an emotional connection and recognizing their most valuable customers."
Now more than ever, restaurant leaders need to find new ways to create truly one-of-a-kind dining experiences that give people a reason to leave the comfort of their home and ditch the ease of ordering with the click of a button. If equipment isn’t working properly, you run the risk of disappointed customers and a loss of sales.
Modern payment solutions that provide the ultimate convenience and enable customers to order and pay how they prefer are on the rise this holiday season, empowering restaurants to deliver an improved experience without sacrificing the quality of service. In the U.S.
Extraordinary times always seem to lead to extraordinary innovations, and the restaurant industry is currently in the midst of perhaps the greatest time of upheaval, ever. A large part of their success are the innovations that are reinventing their restaurants to accommodate a changed consumer base. Rethink the Restaurant Experience.
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.
By Lindsay Lawrence, Contributor Relocating a restaurant is no small feat, as it involves managing the transportation of kitchen equipment, reestablishing the space’s atmosphere, and ensuring minimal disruption to your business. These features help restaurant owners and interior designers draft layouts and experiment with configurations.
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.
“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.”
Technology doesn’t just level the playing field; it allows mom-and-pop shops to improve efficiency, reduce wait times, and enhance the customerexperience in ways that were once out of reach. The benefits expand beyond labor and into customer data and efficiency. However, customer expectations are constantly evolving.
Convenience and a wide range of options have emerged as key purchasing drivers, providing significant opportunities for innovation to ensure more inclusive and seamless payment experiences. Consumers now expect innovative solutions that support seamless journeys, and payment technology must support this transition to smart mobility.
Against a backdrop of rapidly changing customer demands and rising costs, technology has become more than a mere necessity for restaurants to adopt. In the hypercompetitive food and beverage industry, restaurant operators are often subjected to a number of daunting challenges. Driving Revenue Growth and Cost Savings.
Now, with consumer behavior increasingly shifting toward intuitive and automated restaurant experiences, Canadian brands are faced with the need for the support, flexibility and efficiency of the right technology suite in order to confidently and successfully expand into the U.S. restaurant market. Better Prepared for the Future.
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.
Restaurateurs, however, have options to mitigate these challenges with technological innovation. 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. Each year, insurers pay out $2.5
workers now operating in a hybrid model, restaurants can focus on becoming the go-to destination for office-day meals through targeted promotions, convenient ordering options and other innovations. Diners aren’t just looking for the cheapest meal; they’re looking for the best balance of quality, quantity, and experience.
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. The restaurants that thrive today are those that balance innovation with human connection.
.” The COVID-19 pandemic—more than any contentious customer or kitchen catastrophe—is putting that skill to test. As the nation grapples with another wave of restaurant closings and reduced dining room capacity, establishments must quickly respond to the cry for innovation in the industry. No-Touch Menus.
The year 2024 promises a journey of adaptation and fierce competition for the restaurant industry as it manages stronger-than-expected economic data and slowing inflation while dealing with the headwinds of short labor supply, more demanding customers and an uncertain political environment. The key lesson both establishments teach?
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.
He has over 30 years of experience in the field, starting as a dishwasher and rising to a leadership position at Inspire Brands, where he served as Vice President of Global EquipmentInnovation & Supply. John Strom (JS) is vice president and general manager of Innovation at GP PRO, a division of Georgia-Pacific.
As the calendar turns towards 2024, the restaurant industry stands at a crossroads, with innovation and adaptation at the heart of its ongoing evolution. As such, restaurants are investing in training and development programs to upskill their workforce, ensuring team members are equipped to handle the latest tools and technologies.
“This redesign is not just about aesthetics; it’s about enhancing the customerexperience, improving operational efficiency, and creating a welcoming environment that reflects our commitment to quality and innovation." Our aim was to enhance the guest experience while strengthening and streamlining operations.
New technology innovations now being introduced into the hospitality industry are designed to level out those pinch points. But here’s the good news: better prepared bars and restaurants will increase receipts and positively impact the customerexperience by tightly managing kegged inventory during the holidays.
Loyalty programs are the secret sauce for keeping customers hooked, whether you're a cozy corner café or a massive restaurant chain. In a world where third-party delivery apps dominate, securing customer loyalty through personalized rewards and direct communication is the equivalent of having the best table in a packed restaurant.
The team also launched Scan to Pay and Scan to Order solutions that enable customers visiting physical restaurant locations to use menus, order food, and pay for their bill through an entirely touchless experience. Is there any resistance to contactless now? How do you see contactless payments evolving?
During the pandemic, quick-service restaurants (QSRs) were forced to innovate if they wanted to succeed. 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.
What’s new on the menu for today’s innovative restaurants? Thanks to the labor shortage and increased profit pressure, savvy restaurants are going digital to provide the best customerexperience and to keep up with the hefty competition. Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Today’s Special: Augmented Reality.
How to improve customerexperience, capitalize on new opportunities, and implement innovative technologies. Even in this challenging time for the industry, restaurants are finding innovative ways to better serve the needs of their customers. Focus on CustomerExperience and Personalization.
Restaurants are no longer just about the food – they are about the complete dining experience, which includes ambiance, service speed, and personalized interaction. The need for innovation and efficiency has never been greater in this evolving scenario. Customers expect quick, seamless service and personalized experiences.
Restaurant operators need to embrace menu and technological innovations in order to meet guest expectations this holiday season, according to the Fall/Winter Trend report: a report produced by Provoke Insights in collaboration with Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine. "Our
Sweetgreen implemented tech solutions to improve their operations, boost sustainability , and personalize customers’ experiences. Innovative tech tools, like AI, can improve forecasting, inventory management, scheduling, customer service, marketing, and many other essential business tasks. Maximize compliance.
Behind the success of a restaurant — regardless of size — is delicious food, great service and seamless experiences across every touchpoint. When restaurants find their perfect blend of tools, they can transform challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. However, growth brings growing pains.
As per the International Organization for Standardization, a service robot performs functional tasks for humans or equipment, excluding industrial automation applications. Robots are able to improve the guest experience by analysing the online reviews from hotels and restaurants.
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