From the cash register to the restaurant kitchen, technology plays an important role in business operations. Innovations in the F&B industry are incessantly producing digital solutions that can make restaurant operations easier, faster and more profitable.
The technological revolution has transformed something that was once unimaginable to do into the basic needs that the food and beverage industry must have. This has a big impact on the way business operates.
Below, we present 5 revolutionary technologies that every restaurant must have.
Tabletop Tablet
Say goodbye to the POS machine at the cashier’s desk. Now, the latest POS technology doesn’t always have to be at the cashier’s desk. Now the technology can be accessed by the customers themselves! Customers can choose their own orders, create custom menus through e-menus, and make payments directly without the help of a waiter.
The e-menu can also provide upsell and cross-sell menu suggestions so that it can encourage customers to buy more food. If the process is automated, employees at the back end and customer service can focus on other things that are more important.
When the customer has finished making an order and / or payment, all inputs go directly into the restaurant kitchen. This method can save time because usually the cooks must wait for the waitress to deliver their new orders to start cooking. Thus, restaurant efficiency and profits can increase significantly.
Digitally tracking inventory
The paper and pen recording method is out of date and has been replaced by an inventory management system that can digitally track food supplies.
Through a system that can be accessed anywhere, restaurant employees can immediately record and calculate the amount of inventory available efficiently and accurately. Inventory calculations can also be scheduled easily. Thus, restaurant employees can ensure that the fastest-selling food is always available in the restaurant’s kitchen.
In addition, inventory management software can monitor inventory levels. With integration into the POS system, inventory software can calculate how much inventory is needed based on sales. A comparison between the two can tell the manager about excess, wasted, or lost inventory and resolve the problem as soon as possible.
Automatic purchase management
One of the biggest mistakes of restaurants is not being able to serve ordered food because of the lack of stock. To avoid this, you can use purchasing management software that is linked to the inventory management system. Thus, if there is a supply that reaches a low limit, the manager will get a notification and place an order for the item automatically.
Not only that. This system can provide product purchase advice based on frequently purchased items, sales predictions, and certain other categories. The entire purchase process can be done through a mobile application – from the approval process, invoice verification, to comparing vendors. With these features, restaurant inventory will always be guaranteed of its availability.
Kitchen display
In restaurants, time is money. The long process of serving food greatly impacts the effectiveness of the restaurant. However, now these problems can be overcome with kitchen displays for restaurant kitchens. Kitchen display can record all incoming cooking orders clearly.
For example, one serving of chicken strips consists of 8 pieces of chicken. The total number of customers who order the dishes is 6 servings. The kitchen display will clearly inform the cook that they must cook 48 pieces of chicken.
Kitchen displays can calculate how long a serving of food is prepared by the cook and sort the priority of dishes that must be prepared automatically. The accuracy of the kitchen display system can significantly reduce waste in your restaurant’s kitchen because all dishes are made according to existing orders.
Technology cannot replace the unique taste of food and drink. But when the two are combined, the restaurant is able to present the best dining experience for its customers. Interconnectivity between employees, systems and products will bring meaningful changes in restaurants.