With a whopping 1.09 trillion U.S. dollars in sales, the restaurant industry is reaching new heights daily. The competition is fierce, demanding businesses to adopt new technological trends.
That’s where you need to start investing in restaurant technology to stay ahead of the over-competitive market. An excellent technological upgrade will improve customer satisfaction rates and help you boost your sales as quickly as a flash.
However, you might wonder what the right smart QR code menu is for your restaurant. Let’s find out by discussing the seven types of restaurant technology and how they can benefit your business.
What is restaurant technology?
Restaurant technologies are not limited to one solution or tool. Instead, it includes a list of solutions ranging from simple point-of-sale systems to complex inventory management software.
Using digital tools and solutions, restaurant owners can simplify tasks and solve customer problems with innovative technologies. This will help businesses streamline processes and achieve digital transformation in the following ways:
- User-Friendly Experience: Using tableside restaurant ordering technology gives customers a user-friendly experience.
- Convenience for All: Contactless payments via Google or Apple Pay provide convenience to both staff and customers.
- Customer Satisfaction: Kitchen display systems can increase customer satisfaction rates.
7 types of technology in the restaurant industry tools to boost business sales
Now that you have a basic understanding of the technology of the restaurant industry, you might wonder which is best for your business. Well, the wise idea is to integrate multiple technological tools that best tailor to your customer expectations and restaurant needs.
Here is a list of the seven types of restaurant technology you can use to boost business sales:
Mobile apps
Mobile ordering apps are an absolute necessity for restaurants. These apps are the secret weapons to driving sales and increasing overall business revenue. Using mobile app technology, customers can pre-order their favorite meal or reserve a table with just a single click. All of this is at their fingertips.
Statistics show that over 70% of regular consumers prefer mobile apps and websites over physical cards. This is because apps provide convenience and comfort, saving a lot of time. Restaurants that launch their own apps for bookings and orders have better chances of success than those who don’t have such on-site services.
Online table reservation system
The restaurant business is all about table management and guest bookings. Using an online table reservation system can help manage reservations more effectively. This technology allows customers to seamlessly pre-book their tables so they don’t have to wait hours in a long queue.
Customer relationship management system
To boost restaurant sales, you can get help from advanced tools and technologies. This involves using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to manage user relationships and interactions. You can also use analytics tools to gain insights into customer behavior and identify at-risk customers. Enlisted below are some of the benefits of using a CRM system:
- It improves customer retention by automating tasks.
- It sets reminders and follow-ups for timely bookings and orders.
- You can instantly get notified about a user problem and take swift action.
Overall, CRM systems are designed to improve sales and streamline businesses. You can implement them to improve customer satisfaction and boost business growth.
Kitchen display system
One of the most needed technologies in the restaurant industry is the kitchen display system. It is a digital solution every restaurant needs to streamline kitchen operations. It eliminates the need for paperwork and digitizes the ordering process so everything runs smoothly and efficiently.
In addition to efficiency, this system can minimize the risk of errors as everything is displayed on the screen with clear details. This way, the management team can organize orders, prioritize them or get real-time updates as needed.
Contactless payments
Gone are the days when customers had to pay hefty bills via cash or paper currency. Now it’s the era of online payment systems.
Using restaurant payment technology such as QR codes, customers can instantly make payments without carrying large cash amounts in their pockets. Similarly, payments can be made using mobile devices or smartphones.
Compared to traditional payment methods, the QR code payment system offers a secure and convenient solution. Businesses can adopt this technology for seamless and fast transactions after every order. It’s simple and can be performed with a single touch.
AI chatbots
With the rise in technological advancements, restaurants are using AI systems for promotions and personalized recommendations. Popular food chain giants, including Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Subway, are already using chatbots to streamline tasks. These AI chatbots can increase the overall response rate and improve customer experience.
QR-coded menus
It is another excellent technological innovation that can boost business sales. Over 26 million people use QR code scans to access information of all kinds. Restaurants can also use this barcode technology for digital menus and contactless payments.
For instance, a smart QR code menu can be used as an interactive solution in place of printed menu cards. They have revolutionized the digital world by providing everything with just a single scan. Using the code, customers can also avail of special discounts, redeem rewards, or make payments instantly.
Benefits of smart QR code menu for restaurant operations
Without a doubt, using interactive restaurant software or other technological tools can help improve business sales. It can lead to happy and satisfied customers, who, in turn, leave a positive impression on your restaurant business. Besides, here are some other benefits of using technology in restaurant businesses:
Better marketing opportunities
With a digital restaurant tool in your business, you can get better marketing options to stay ahead in the competitive market. For instance, a user will likely return to a restaurant if he loves the style, customer service, and overall digital environment. This will lead to more sales and increased revenue for your restaurant.
Increase efficiency
When you adopt restaurant contactless technology, you ultimately increase system efficiency by allowing customers to make quick and instant decisions. There is no need for manual work, as everything can be handled with a single scan on the smartphone.
This improves your overall workflow as employees spend less time logging data and more time performing maintenance tasks. Plus, technology like QR codes boosts the accuracy and reliability of your records by reducing human error, which currently accounts for 95% of all security breaches.
Provide real-time insights
When you have customer relationship management software or a POS system in your restaurant, it helps you get detailed insights into customer behavior. For instance, businesses can see which food item is loved by a specific customer and what upgrades they can make to improve their restaurant’s overall efficiency.
Set Up a restaurant contactless technology today
Now you know how important it is to adopt the latest restaurant technology trends in your business. These digital solutions can make or break your sales. By incorporating new innovative solutions into your business, you can lead to improved workflow and better growth opportunities.
Some software you can find online provides advanced solutions for restaurants to manage everything on one centralized interactive restaurant menu software. From restaurant branding to analyzing sales, multilingual support, and ordering dashboards, it offers a list of toolkits to get the kitchen in order. Using this technology, you can reduce wait time, update the menu, and manage payments with a single scan.
