If you are opening a restaurant in 2022 you will want to be sure that you have access to the right technology. Doing so will help you to serve your customers better, work smarter, keep your costs under control, and much more besides.
Below, we tell you about the tech you need to invest in to be able to run a successful restaurant business in 2022. Along with a few tips to help you to work out what to buy and when.
Invest in decent quality digital signage
The use of digital menus became widespread during the CoVid crisis. It was safer for staff and customers to use them than it was to use old-school paper or plasticated menus.
It turned out that customers liked them. It meant they did not have to wait for service staff to give them the menu to choose their food. Instead, while they were queuing for their table, they could select what they wanted and place their order immediately after the server had seated them. Greatly reducing wait times.
Something that is good for the restaurateur as well as the customers. So, unsurprisingly most restaurants now use digital menus, and you should too. Using this digital signage guide for restaurants will help you to select the right type and size of the screen. As well as tell you how to make sure that it is loaded with the software you need to be able to quickly change the menu to include daily specials and remove items that have sold out. Provided you choose the right package you will also be able to change the price of each item daily. Something that is vital given the fact that the cost of the products you use to make your dishes now fluctuates wildly because of supply issues.
The guide also explains how you can use your digital signage for marketing. Combining what you learn there with the 15 restaurant promo ideas you can find here will ensure that your new business gains traction and grows fast.
Kitchen display screens
You can also use digital display screens to help you to run your business more efficiently. Setting them up in the kitchen means that as soon as an order is taken by your serving staff the cooks are aware of it and can start preparing the customer´s food.
This reduces waiting times, which customers like. It also creates the opportunity for the table to be used at least once more during the day.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of kitchen displays, how to use them, and choose the best ones for your business,
The right restaurant software
To run a successful restaurant, you need several types of software. Investing in good quality software will help you to achieve the following vital tasks:
- Keep track of stock and make sure no produce goes out of date
- Pay your staff
- Keep tabs on your costs to make sure you remain profitable
- Allow customers to pay
- Enable you to complete your tax returns
- Prove that you are complying with all of the necessary regulations
This website provides you with an overview of what you need and gives you more information about each type of software. You will also find reviews and comparisons there. Both of which will help you to narrow down your options.
If you are still unsure about which software package or packages to buy, speak to a few other restaurant owners to find out what they use. You can do this via forums, your local Chamber of Commerce, or restaurant owner associations like this one.
Food prep technology
Many new restaurant owners underestimate the time food prep swallows up. Preparing everything in advance is an essential part of successfully navigating busy periods and turning a profit. The majority of restaurants make most of their profit during lunchtime or between 6 pm and 11 pm. If prep is not done properly the opportunity to sell enough is lost.
So, it makes sense to invest in anything that helps you to prepare food faster and/or make it more appealing to your customers. Use this guide to help you to equip your kitchens properly. Once you have read it you will be able to quickly work out whether it is worth your while to buy ovens equipped with RF technology that cooks faster is a good idea or not.
Keep tabs on how technology is being used within your business
Once you have everything up and running, take the time to review how things are working. Often, simply tweaking how a piece of tech is used will be enough to solve any bottlenecks that you uncover.
