The tradition of eating out hasn?t changed much in the last few centuries, however, the working style of the restaurant has uplifted dramatically. We have been talking about how digitisation is impacting the titbits and overall service experience in the food and beverage industry but it’s time that we look ahead of it. As we step into 2023, we discuss a few unique business technologies whose scope will be way beyond scheduling software, LED alert systems and so on.
- Digital Inventory Tracking: Digital inventory tracking system allows the user to oversee all inventory activity in real-time. It includes frequent usage of inventory tracking systems and several other technologies that include access to total inventory through precise information collection and data tracking. Digitisation of inventory systems is allowing restaurant owners to move beyond spreadsheets and papers while keeping track of the supply chain more accurately. This will play a key role in keeping the restaurant industry alive as supply chain disruptions become more frequent in wake of 2023?s global recession, geo-political tensions and a rising number of climatic catastrophes.
- Automated BioDiesel Converters: Automation has turned the tide in favour of several business verticals in the restaurant industry in the last few years. Inspired by this, a California-based company, Springboard Biodiesel, reinvented the fuel production process. The company came up with BioPro automated processors that produce industrial-grade biodiesel in small amounts by taking in used vegetable or animal oil. It is an eco-friendly innovation that will really help restaurants make a living on friers. The current price of this automated biodiesel converter is USD $9,995 and it takes in 50 gallons of used oil to produce a small batch of biodiesel. The buyer may have to incur an additional USD $50 per batch as the production process requires some extra bits like methanol, water, power, sulfuric acid and potassium hydroxide. Nevertheless, it is an investment worth it as it will bring down kitchen maintenance and fuel costs for the owners while removing or eliminating the issue of used oil.
- Bluetooth Temperature Censors: Maintaining inventory and preparing food at a safe temperature has long been a challenge for food service establishments and restaurants. A number of restaurants report 85% product loss due to a lack of understanding of the temperature history of food products. It is one of the key aspects of any food or beverage-related business that is directly related to quality and prevention of foodborne illness. Bluetooth temperature censors are Internet Of Things(IoT) based innovations that allow restaurants to monitor food safety constantly and raise real-time alerts as some issue is detected. Apart from insuring food safety wireless temperature sensors eliminate a number of manual processes and chances of human error. Most of these censors provide direct access to data that can later be analyzed by management to gain a deeper insight into major problem areas and look for plausible solutions.
- Touchscreen Food Vendors: Coca-Cola Freestyle soda fountain is a classic example of a touchscreen food vendor. It is capable of dispensing more than 100 unique beverages from a single touchscreen device. Similarly, MooBella Ice Creamery Machine is capable of producing 96 varieties of cool treats in under 40 seconds. These machines are a perfect fit for grab-and-go food establishments as well as fast-food restaurants. They are also beneficial in a scenario where a restaurant owner cannot afford a large staff or restaurants facing high demand during peak seasons. Coca-Cola?s Freestyle can be leased for USD $320 per month while Moobella?s machine cost USD $20000. It may seem costly but this expense can be settled easily when demand rises to peak during summer.
- Tablet Restaurant Management: Tablet Restaurant management systems are Point Of Sale(POS) that offer numerous benefits to users and customers. Tablet POS facilitates faster processing which means more and more tables are served in the least time duration. It is highly crucial when an establishment is looking for better table turnover rates. It sends orders directly to the kitchen from tables without the need to take notes or walk to customers for taking orders. Other benefits include better customer experience and stronger transaction security as it allows the customers to process the cards themselves lessening the chances of card theft. Most tablet management systems have integrated encryption and tokenisation systems in them which adds an additional layer of protection for safe payment processing.
- Service Robots: Apart from the latest LED alert systems and automated purchasing systems the restaurant industry is also buzzing with service robots. Global tech giant LG recently released its robot helper named CLOi ServeBot which can be coded to serve food from the kitchen to the POS terminal in an effortless manner. Restaurants can program these robots with maps of their space and tables and from there, their robots can carry the food from the serving area to customers. Additionally, the robots are capable of tracking order changes and the removal or addition of new items through a touchscreen interface.
Cloud Kitchens: No discussion on the restaurant industry can ever be complete without mention of cloud kitchens. The national restaurant association of the USA reported that the use of cloud kitchens increased significantly during and post-pandemic. Without any dine-in customers, the cloud kitchens work seamlessly to prepare food on a commercial scale. That is then picked up by food delivery service providers. This concept is also useful for chain restaurants with a specific identity as ghost kitchens allow them to expand their menu and introduce new types of cuisine. Similarly for new players, it provides a magnificent opportunity to enter new markets without buying or developing a physical restaurant space. They can also utilize scheduling software to fasten up their order processing for pack and carry orders or online orders.