Restaurant technology takes the old way of working and makes it far more efficient, and there is a great deal that an owner today can put to good use — restaurateurs very much included. Today we want to introduce restaurant owners to 6 digital technologies for the food business that make management easy, improve how the outlet is run and keep the business moving smoothly. So which of them should a modern restaurant not miss? Read on.
A restaurant management system, or POS system
The first technology we want to talk about is the POS, or point-of-sale, system: a computer system that helps run every kind of outlet, restaurants among them, from every angle. It accepts payment in every form, so the owner can run the restaurant from anywhere at any time and check every step along the way. It also makes managing the outlet and the ingredient store easy, and it keeps an effective eye on staff. On top of that, a POS system comes with plenty of clever features — membership, discount redemption, sales reports and a great many other functions a restaurant business needs.
Crucially, in an age where data is the essential business tool, a POS system stores the figures that matter: which dishes are ordered most, when the outlet is busiest, who your regulars are — all of it useful to a restaurant, and all of it leading to marketing plans and improvements that hit the mark. That makes it restaurant technology that leaves customers impressed and turns walk-ins into regulars with very little effort.
Join a food delivery app
There is no denying that the way customers eat has changed enormously. People increasingly order food to eat at home or in the office rather than sitting down in the restaurant, which is why food aggregators — delivery apps — keep growing in popularity. The technology builds a platform that sits between the restaurant owner and the customer, covering the whole job from placing the order to collecting the food and delivering it to the door.
There are several platforms to join now, among them Grab, Robinhood, LINE MAN and Shopee Food. Delivery apps are restaurant technology with a considerable role to play, because they suit customers who would rather not travel, and they give your outlet a far better chance of being noticed — which makes them an excellent channel for growing sales.
Digital menu technology
If your outlet still uses a printed menu book, it is worth trying a menu shown digitally on a screen, with ordering through a QR menu — an idea that suits modern life rather well. As well as letting customers browse the menu conveniently while they wait in the queue, it saves a great deal of time. An owner can fix a tablet to the table, or create a QR code linking to the menu, whichever is easier. And the owner can choose a POS system that covers the whole job, where the order can be placed straight from the digital menu, so taking orders is quick and smooth. That takes work off the staff, it prevents mistakes, the customer gets everything they ordered, and the food arrives sooner.
KDS software
KDS software, short for Kitchen Display System, means running the kitchen display automatically on an Android tablet. Software of this sort reduces mistakes and speeds up food preparation. The customer orders what they want, either through an automated system or through a member of staff, and the KDS software sends the items to the kitchen, where the kitchen staff see the order and can start cooking straight away. That cuts down the work for the servers and prevents orders going missing, being served to the wrong table, or running late. It is another technology a restaurant ought to have, to keep the kitchen running smoothly.
Online table booking
Another technology a restaurant ought to have is online table booking, which makes life easier for customers and leaves them with a good impression. A digital booking platform lets a customer reserve a table in advance quite easily, giving nothing more than the date and time they want. That makes seating more efficient and cuts down waiting, which is good news for the owner, the staff and the customer alike.
Contactless e-payment
The last technology that suits a restaurant business is contactless payment, or e-payment, answering the trend towards a cashless society. Whether it is a debit card, a credit card, a bank transfer, a QR code scan, a digital wallet or one of the various platforms, it makes paying easier for the customer. The owner, meanwhile, can check the outlet's record of payments easily, which deters staff from skimming, and there is no need to keep a large float of change — with the added benefit of less risk of picking up germs from handling cash.
Those are the 6 digital technologies for the food business making waves at the moment. Applied sensibly, they will certainly give your outlet the chance to grow quickly and efficiently.
And if you like the sound of what these digital technologies can do for a food business and want to bring them into your own outlet, we would recommend the POS system from Qashier: restaurant management that covers the whole job, designed specifically to make a business more efficient, with the accessories to match. It is trusted by more than 5,000 restaurants and bars across South East Asia, it leaves customers impressed, it is easy for staff to use, and it gives the outlet a better chance of growing steadily. For more information, contact us on LINE Official: @qashier.th or call 02-544-0267