Technology Trends in Restaurants

Every day, companies and restaurants are moving their operations to The Cloud for a variety of reasons, and falling behind the competition here puts you at a huge disadvantage.  Managing your restaurant through web technologies is easier (and more valuable) today than it has ever been, and new solutions spring up on a daily basis.  The important thing to remember when becoming part of this trend is to put decisions in the context of your business’ requirements.

Today, these technologies are seen in things such as online ordering, web based point-of-sale systems, and cloud-driven inventory / restaurant management.  These technologies today are the first step in the direction the hospitality industry will be moving over the next 5-10 years.  While some technology can be used to improve the working conditions and responsibilities of employees, at the end of the day hospitality is still the name of the game, and automation only goes so far with hospitality.  In the upcoming years, technologies are going to focus more and more on delivering a better customer experience to these areas.

With these trends moving the way they are, restaurant owners should ask themselves a few questions:

  • What technologies am I using to improve efficiency in my restaurant?
  • How do I currently interact with my customers outside of the restaurant?
  • How flexible are my internal systems? Will my restaurant be able to operate if they go down?
  • How am I currently tracking resources and generating reports?
  • What are the other restaurants near me doing with technology?
  • How strong is my online presence?

It is likely that there is at least one point here your restaurant can improve upon. The stronger these aspects are, the more efficient your restaurant will be able to operate on a day-to-day basis, and the more prepared it will be as technologies become more advanced.