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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 customeroperations.
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.
Running a restaurant isn’t just about crafting the perfect plate or creating an unforgettable experience for your guests, it’s about making money. The crime in our industry is that many operators (most operators) do not know how much power they have over their vendors. This isn’t a knock on them.
Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine asked restaurant industry experts for their views on what trends and challenges owners and operators can expect to see in 2025. With so many people leaving the industry, restaurants stepped up—raising wages, creating new opportunities, and doubling down on the employee experience.
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.
These changes are driven by a combination of consumer demands, technological breakthroughs, and the industry’s need to adapt to economic and operational challenges. From reimagining workflows to enhancing guest interactions, technology is shaping how restaurants, bars, and hospitality businesses operate.
"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."
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has not only transformed the global social, political, and economic climate, but has also changed how businesses operate. Last year completely upended how customers ate: Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) heavily relied on drive-thrus for business. Joe Erlinger, head of McDonald’s U.S.
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.
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.
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.
As we return to in-person dining across the country, restaurants are facing yet another challenge: delivering an exceptional customerexperience (CX) for guests who come with high expectations after more than a year stuck at home. The entire dining experience has changed in the wake of the pandemic. Here are some strategies.
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.
As we reflect on 2024, it’s clear these forces will only accelerate in 2025, bringing both challenges and opportunities for operators. In 2025, we’ll see increased consolidation as operators demand streamlined solutions and a single source of truth. Humans Will Replace AI in 2025 You read that correctly.
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.
A new year is creeping up on us again, bringing fresh opportunities—and challenges—for restaurant operators. Focus on: Hiring for Culture Fit : Seek candidates who align with your restaurant’s values by emphasizing character and attitude over experience when interviewing.
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.
Restaurants are no longer just about the food – they are about the complete dining experience, which includes ambiance, service speed, and personalized interaction. Advanced networking solutions have emerged as a critical player in this revolution, offering the potential to enhance restaurant operations dramatically.
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.
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.
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.
However, to ensure restaurants can deliver on these innovations, streamline their operations, and reduce costs, there’s a clear requirement for new solutions – cellular signal boosters – to ensure complete connectivity inside restaurants. Availability : Cellular experiences fewer signal disruptions compared to Wi-Fi.
As the QSR industry becomes increasingly crowded, understanding operations from the inside out is more crucial than ever. As competition intensifies, companies must innovate and streamline operations to stay ahead. This is where real, hands-on experience becomes invaluable.
These restaurants, which exclusively deliver food, typically use online ordering and a cashless transaction system that allows for little physical interaction between the customer and facilitator. In addition to restaurant operators opening or transitioning to the ghost kitchen strategy, grocers are also exploring this new concept.
The restaurant experience has quickly become a digital landscape. Cashless payment systems will encourage more point-of-sale system attacks Point-of-sale systems are a foundational component of a restaurant’s daily operations. But this technology adoption has also introduced new cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
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.
With the new year just around the corner, many restaurants are deciding how they can enhance their operations going forward. There are different IoT-based solutions on the market designed to decrease downtime, increase energy and operational efficiency and improve overall customerexperience. Connected Equipment.
That’s why this approach will help you avoid costly mistakes, save time making important decisions, and make for a less stressful renovation experience. Furthermore, CAD supports the design-build lifecycle and maintenance, ensuring continuity and precision from the initial concept to the daily operation of the completed restaurant.
Restaurant technology adoption has accelerated throughout the pandemic, shifting digital tools from futuristic nice-to-haves into critical components of day-to-day operations. Technology adoption across the industry has continued to surge; restaurants are juggling upwards of 10 pieces of tech to maintain regular operations.
“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.”
Fake orders can lead to lower ratings and poor customer reviews, which diminishes the credibility of genuine restaurants and reduces consumer trust. Additionally, the inflated order volumes from fraudulent accounts can push legitimate restaurants lower in search rankings, causing them to lose visibility and customers. In 2023, over 1.5
Throughout the pandemic, operators have taken note of consumers’ changing lifestyles and the needs of their staff, and as a result, recent innovations have emerged to address these new needs. Consumers are getting back out into the world again and reconnecting with all their favorite places and experiences.
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.
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. Technology continues to transform restaurant operations. They seek brands they believe in.
How do restaurant operators find efficiencies to minimize costs without degrading quality or service? One desirable option is to leverage low-power IoT solutions to deliver energy and maintenance efficiencies and reduce operational expenses. Low-power IoT solutions are affordable, secure, and reliable. Each year, insurers pay out $2.5
They emit no harmful emissions, improving environmental safety for guests and staff while only requiring an electrical outlet to operate. Additionally, their ability to provide instant heat helps lower operational costs by eliminating the need to preheat your space.
Restaurant industry challenges are pushing operators to be more creative and efficient with many opting for more multifunctional spaces – especially in a fast-casual setting. Operators are thinking beyond the immediate space, considering how design elements can evolve and become recognizable brand signatures.
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.
While there are budgetary differences between a chain restaurant vs an single location, investment in technology must be made in order to meet new customer expectations and ease the burden of staffing shortages. Maximizing this opportunity for free marketing is key to developing deep relationships with customers and building customer loyalty.
At times the choices may seem insignificant but where customers are concerned nothing is insignificant. The small decisions add up and establish the type of operation you choose to offer, the reputation you hope to gain. Ah, you say -but I am just a hamburger and fries operation how can this apply?
Most of the restaurant technology tools operators use every day were first introduced years ago, but it wasnt until the 2020 Tech Boom, brought on by COVID-19, that widespread adoption became essential. If customer retention is a priority consider a digital loyalty program or automated marketing tools.
Bar and restaurant operators often face tough dilemmas, ranging from the daily question, “Should we be mixing more drinks or turning more tables?” With today’s technology, bar and lounge operators can have the best of both worlds. This question often stymies operators eager to increase revenues.
"As awful as it was, the pandemic pushed restaurants to completely rethink their operations in order to survive, and some of the changes they made during the pandemic have continued to be beneficial to those restaurants and industry at large." The pandemic made speed, accuracy, and seamless ordering non-negotiable.
Operators would see increased prices in their supply chain, resulting in rising costs to their guests as well. For instance, we're seeing a significant shift towards personalized guest experiences. In terms of operations, we're seeing a trend towards integrated systems. AI is also boosting staff productivity.
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