10 Tech Services Good for Those in the Food and Restaurant Industry

By Sarah Gurr

Restaurant operators can often feel shorted on time with their work. To an operator, there’s always something that needs to be done, like menu planning, inventory counts, sales analysis. Some of these projects feel like a double burden, because they’re so time-consuming. Take staff schedules, for instance. When done manually, it’s grueling work. A whole day can slip away doing that. Some restaurant operators feel stressed, tired, and rushed trying to juggle all their projects. But now they can save time, and offload some work, with the newest food-delivery and restaurant tech transforming the restaurant industry.

This new generation of tech intends to help the harried operator. The platforms claim to be tech workhorses for those in the food and restaurant industry. They’re capable of handling a wide variety of tasks like staff scheduling, sales monitoring, and inventory counts. They offer operators strong support in different aspects of restaurant operations, from the front of the house to the back kitchen. Once operators are freed from some of their work, they’ll have more time to enjoy the rewards of running their business.

A study by the National Restaurant Association suggests that most operators are accepting those helping hands. According to the study, 81 percent of restaurants are using point-of-sale (POS) technology to simplify operations. Why the attraction to tech? Probably because POS software can provide sophisticated records and analysis to track customers and transactions. Moreover, the employee modules of some options make shift management, payroll, and time tracking more efficient. In short, this new tech can help operators to prune back their work, making their lives in the food and restaurant industry easier.

In addition to the nifty POS software that most operators already know about, there’s a range of other options. These other platforms and services can help operators to save money, improve guest experience, and run their restaurants more effectively. Predictive restaurant platforms, for instance, use algorithms and historical data to anticipate, or “predict,” sales. Operators can use those insights to reduce food costs and to improve staffing. At the same time, customer-loyalty apps are said to help coax diners into making multiple return visits to a restaurant. With this kind of support, restaurant operators can spend less time trying to lasso customers.

If there’s not enough time in your day, consider using food-delivery platforms and restaurant tech to do some of your work. Investing in the right tools can help you to get more done. But first you need to figure out which of these tools are right for your restaurant. There’s a lot of food- and restaurant-themed tech out there. We know, because we pored over sources, in researching this infographic. We’ve simplified the reading for you. In this infographic, we discuss some of the most important technology that restaurant operators need to know about, such as:

• POS software
• Mobile payment systems
• Predictive restaurant platforms
• Self-ordering kiosks
• Customer loyalty programs
• Websites for restaurants
• Social-media marketing tools for restaurants
• Reservation platforms
• Shift management technology
• Third-party online-ordering platforms

Use this infographic to help you visualize the capabilities of each piece of tech. Learn about the distinct ways that these products and services can impact your operations. We do all the fancy footwork for you, giving you the “what” and the “why.” All you need to do is decide for yourself.

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