It’s no surprise that restaurants that have embraced technology have fared better throughout the pandemic. This is because restaurants with technology meet consumers where they want to order– be it online, kiosk, or QR code.
Below, we outline the 6 most important types of restaurant technology you need to run your business, including what it is, how it works, and how it can benefit your business. If you want to make sure your restaurant can thrive in the post-pandemic economy, these tech solutions are for you.
1. Touchscreen POS terminals
A touchscreen Point of Sale terminal, also known as a POS, is a self-ordering touchscreen device where your customer makes a payment for products or services at your business. POS systems are the heart of any business operation; they facilitate transactions and help turn inventory into revenue.
With the GRUBBRR POS terminal, you can create a pleasant experience for your customers without the added overhead costs of servers and cashiers. Patrons can take their time customizing and verifying their order, which means you waste less time and money correcting mistakes.
Plus, our upselling software shows your customers the perfect addition to their order at the exact right moment to ensure bigger tickets and better experiences. In addition, you can personalize the POS interface so its visuals align with restaurant branded colors, fonts, and logos.
Built-in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) allows you to save customer information, including birthday’s and contact information, so that you never miss a moment to make each customer feel special. Send promotions, increase customer loyalty, and generate awareness for your new items with a POS terminal.
A cloud-based POS platform can also perform reporting and provide future insights using the data it has stored on the cloud. Using the cloud, you can review customer data, determine inventory needs, monitor sales and expenses, and more. Some systems, like GRUBBRR’s, even send reminders about things like when it’s time to do safe drops.
2. Self-ordering kiosks
Self-ordering kiosks are becoming a major facet of fast casual and quick service restaurants. Using a touchscreen to allow customers to choose the items they want, make any necessary customizations and send the order off to the kitchen for preparation, they also act as the point of sale, allowing customers to pay directly on the kiosk.
In essence, a self-ordering kiosk performs all of the basic tasks that are usually performed by a cashier, but saves restaurants time and money while providing better and faster service to customers.
Self-ordering kiosks eliminate human error on the part of the cashier. Kiosks put the consumer in full control of their order, allowing them to handpick items and customize them freely. They also allow the consumer to review their order before it’s submitted to ensure complete accuracy. This eliminates the chance of a miscommunication regarding the customer’s order.
In addition to ensuring customer satisfaction, kiosks also promote upselling, which is another important factor in increasing restaurant profit margins. If a customer orders a burrito, the kiosk can prompt them directly to ask if they’d like to add guacamole for an extra charge. If they’re shown the option as they order, a customer is more likely to purchase add-ons at an extra cost.
3. Contactless Payments
Contactless payments, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, contactless EMV, and credit and debit payment options, allow consumers to pay for their order in one simple, contactless transaction.
Suppose a customer wants to split an order between several people, use cash instead of a card, or tap their phone to pay. A quality restaurant POS software system allows customers to pay how they want if working in tandem with the correct hardware, such as cash recyclers.
Having multiple payment options allows for shorter lines, more accessible online ordering, and less need for patrons to work directly with employees to make payments.
4. Kitchen Display Systems
Kitchen display systems (KDS) are made to significantly streamline the back-of-house process. With a KDS, the kitchen receives orders directly from the POS, kiosk, or online ordering platform on their own kitchen display screens and routes the order components to their correct preparation stations.
Multiple screens can be placed throughout the different prep, cook, and expo stations, and employees can manage their own tickets and send multi-step or time-sensitive tickets to the different display stations as necessary. Automatic inventory and data feedback is updated and tracked, making these systems a powerful tool to revolutionize the back of house process.
Kitchen display systems also have bright, easy-to-read and easy-to-use screens that eliminate the unnecessary and inefficient parts of the preparation process. With their integrated task management system, employees can look at the KDS and see their tasks with allergy alerts clearly displayed with priority, coursing, and cook time considerations incorporated into task sorting.
They can route and delay routing to different stations based on real-time requirements. This keeps the preparation process streamlined and time-managed without putting the burden of pacing on the employees. Employees are more empowered to execute their job to the best of their ability, providing a better result and avoiding employee burnout.
5. QR Code Table Ordering
QR code ordering is a method of digitizing your menu and ordering process. Restaurants use QR codes by placing them on tables or counters, allowing customers to access the menu with their smartphones.
To browse and order from the contactless menu, consumers simply need to take out their smartphones and use the camera app to scan the QR code that will send them to the right page. They can do this from a kiosk or even a poster on your business’ door.
When integrated with a point of sale, online ordering lets restaurants see their orders in one place and manage them as part of their regular operations.
Contactless ordering is the best way to ensure customer safety and satisfaction. GRUBBRR’s QR code technology and mobile accessibility provides customers with a convenient, contactless and online ordering solution.
6. Integrated Online Ordering Solutions
With online ordering, your customers can easily place their orders from their smartphones, tablets, or desktops. They can take their time customizing and verifying their order, which ultimately leads to a better customer experience.
Online ordering helps business owners drastically save on costs and generate more revenue by providing another avenue for order placement, reducing the time employees spend taking orders, ensuring accuracy of orders placed, and charging a low, flat monthly fee instead of per-order surcharges
In fact, with GRUBBRR’s online ordering software, you avoid the 25-30% surcharge that other services typically require and enjoy a flat monthly rate instead. GRUBBRR made online ordering software as easy and cost-effective as possible with $0 set-up fees. Plus, setup only takes 48 hours. GRUBBRR’s online ordering software lets customers order directly from your business instead of outsourcing to another company.
Conclusion
A solution to disjointed consumer ordering experiences is maintaining a connected ecosystem in a restaurant’s tech. This not only improves the consumer’s experience, but also makes restaurant operations more efficient.
The GRUBBRR ecosystem of products is designed to work together seamlessly, meaning the six most important types of restaurant technology listed above work in tandem to streamline your restaurant’s operations and drive incremental revenue. The addition of restaurant technology, such as kiosks and QR code ordering, allows for expanded business opportunities and improves the customer experience.