Category: Restaurants

Technology Trends – COVID-19 and rapid digitalization changed the game for almost every sector across the world. The restaurant industry too joined the league in the pioneer stage with several new technologies like restaurant chatbots, contactless payments, touchscreen POS systems, augmented reality menus, digital inventory tracking, and so on. These innovations upgraded the pace, face, and approach of this industry while plucking away barriers keeping customers away from outdoor dining. While AI, machine learning, and 3D printing aren?t enabling us to print out the food we see on screen, they are surely improving efficiency at every end.

Keeping this in mind, here are some of the major technology trends that will dominate the USA restaurant industry in 2023:?

1. Contactless Dine Is To Be The New Norm: Contactless dining became a norm during the pandemic but as more and more people became hygiene and space conscious, there are a number of restaurants that opted to extend this practice. They found some innovative ways to minimize human contact such as augmented reality menus, contactless payments, QR code ordering, etc. Currently, 94 per cent of US restaurants are offering contactless payment options while 78 per cent are pretty happy with their digital menus. As this practice is becoming the new normal, we may expect the scenario to evolve a little more in the given time. 
2. The Quest For More Food Delivery Options: The food delivery business came a long way in the last few years from being a leisure pursuit to a life-saving service for many. Despite the high trend of outdoor dining, there is still a considerable part of the population that likes to get food delivered to their workplace or home. The food delivery apps userbase witnessed superlative growth during the pandemic era, it went straight up from 36.4 million to 44.1 million in 2021 and is expected to reach 53.9 million by 2023. This rising taste for food delivery also compelled higher digitalization of consumers. Now, more than 55% of consumers now browse restaurant menus online and 44% of those place their orders for delivery. Now as it is becoming regular people have started looking for more options especially eco-friendly food delivery options. Meanwhile, this popularity is also compelling full-service restaurants to add food delivery to their operations. 
3. Use Of Smart Tech In Restaurants: Despite increasing revenue figures during COVID, the rate of unemployment went up in the same era. Some were sick while some didn?t want to work. Several restaurants adopted smart technology to run their business and it paid them back handsomely. As the trend picked up, more and more restaurant owners realized the potential of using tech in their workplace and how it was a sure answer to their lack of labour problem. Every two out of three owners state that the automated systems abridge the gap present in online ordering systems giving them respite from operational loopholes and workflow obstructions. The seamless flow of operations paved the way for an increase in orders, profits, and overall revenues. Tools like cloud-based POS systems, virtual reality onboarding, and restaurant management apps shortened the processing time, better monitoring employees, and digitization of online and in-store orders. Not just the owners, even the diners are happy with this new arrangement as it caters to their needs in less time and without the hassle of getting out of the house. Most of them now prefer to use online kiosks, online ordering, and home delivery of food.?
4. Ghost Kitchens: As the ubiquity of home deliveries picked up it also bred the concept of ghost kitchens. Under this category, several big brands prepare and pack food in shared facilities for food deliveries. Ghost kitchens let chefs and restaurants focus on just preparing and serving customers eliminating waiting time and order errors. This convenience gave a lot of traction to this concept all over the world. By 2027, the valuation of this industry is expected to reach $71.4 billion registering an annual growth of 12% all over the world. It is interesting to note that ghost kitchens have a close relationship with food delivery apps which implies that the growth of the former will result in exacerbated growth of the other. A CBRE report states that by 2025, ghost kitchens will account for 21% of the USA restaurant industry. 
5. Healthier Food Choices: Though the food delivery apps display multiple cuisines on their primary interfaces and the rising number of healthy food options is clear evidence of changing consumer preference. Call it an impact of the pandemic, a rising inclination towards healthy food options, or a call for natural, organic food options, it is compelling the restaurant industries to modify their menus. There is a rising portion of natural, healthy food options in restaurants and food delivery options and it is bound to continue even in 2023. Even foreign cuisines like Middle Eastern, Pan Asian, and Mexican food are getting more and more attention and becoming a part of the US regular food choices. Restaurants are now also picking up on catering to specific eating styles. They are now serving ketogenic diets, gluten-free diets, vegan diets, as well as low-carb diets.

Technology is used by Every business in the world to stay ahead of the competition and get better customer feedback. It has been changing as science progresses day by day, and more advanced systems are being used to facilitate customers and keep up with the demands of the market. You can control multiple tasks by opting for the latest technology available for different jobs. The owner has to manage different things every day in a restaurant or cafe, and if not the owner, then he employs a manager to do the same.

But still, it’s a lot for a single person to look after. Tasks like purchasing ingredients from the right vendor, checking the quality of the material, maintaining the cleanliness of the tables and the decor, maintaining optimum stock so it doesn?t go out during rush hours, making sure that the right employee is assigned to their specific job, etc. are some of the essential items on each day?s checklist of the manager. With different tools and technologies by your side, it’s easier to manage such a tough job. But not every restaurant is aware of the latest trends in technologies that can help them. Let?s read about some of the best technologies available for running a restaurant:

DFS Technology:

Digital Food Safety, DFS, is a digitised method of measuring the temperature of food and inventory digitally to ensure it is safe for further processing. Its aim is to digitise the practice, which is usually done slowly in person to ensure a quality check. It removes the human barrier, which results in saving time and margin of error. Usually, staff check for the temperature and note it down. But this technology fast-tracks the process so that it eases the job of checking the quality of the inventory. It instantly records data and stores it for review at any time.

Digital Menu Boards Technology:

For decades, the usual way to showcase a menu has been either on a blackboard or printed on paper. The latter can be seen in most restaurants around the world. But new technologies are grabbing the attention of customers in many restaurants, and among these are digital menu boards. They can be easily designed using software and don’t require any kind of printing. You can add, delete, or change things at any time and even display advertisements, offers, or the top-selling dishes of the day. It?s a very cost-effective tool, as you don?t have to print about changes in the menu or prices whenever you wish to implement them. 

Mobile Ordering Technology:

A huge percentage of the world?s population uses phones throughout the day, and so the roles of apps and notifications become crucial. An app through which food can be ordered while sitting anywhere is a convenience everyone finds very useful. There are multiple factors that come together to make a great food delivery app for restaurants, like the ease of use, delivery tracking, payment integration, reviews, a vivid display of images of the food they are seeing, etc. Transact mobile ordering can be made easier with a multi-tasking app for restaurants. 

Payment Options Technology:

Whether we order food online or go to the restaurant, it is easy to pay via online options. But, in the crowd of new payment options, we need to make sure it?s a safe payment gateway that uses encryption and is recognized as a trustworthy mode. Scanning QR codes at restaurants is an easy and quick way to pay your bills. Another secure way is via contactless payment, in which one has to wave their smartphone in front of a reader. Mobile wallet payment can be an easy way to pay, as you just have to transfer the amount from a third-party wallet to the restaurant?s QR code. Biometric technology is the latest way to pay, where you just need to use a finger or palm print, and voice or even face recognition works. 

Listing Your Restaurant Technology:

Listing your restaurant on various websites helps you establish a digital presence. It helps people to search and find you easily. For example, if you list your restaurant on Google, people can post pictures and online reviews about your place. Online pictures help people see how customers have viewed your place and food, and reviews reflect what they have felt about your food and services. And it?s a great way to attract potential customers, as good review ratings are a magnet for online users. The address is pinned to your profile, which helps one easily navigate and reach the spot. You can even create your own website, showcase what you have to offer, and create a home delivery system. But if you want the delivery system to be taken care of by another party, then you can register with various online sites that handle such websites and delivery services. Online reviews can also be posted on such websites and social media platforms. 

BOH Software Technology:

BOH, or Back-Of-House are the employees that handle the backend of your restaurant business. BOH positions include kitchen manager, dishwasher, delivery service driver, head chef, sous chef, executive chef, BOH manager, and maintenance staff. They are the backbone of your food business and are responsible for the work of the kitchen, food packaging, cleaning, delivery of orders, and managing related work. Having BOH digital software aids in managing employees? shifts, inventory control, raw material cost analysis, employee data, payroll management, training programs and other useful things. 

Technology for Digital food safety management is an accurate feature that measures temperature with its sensors, protects inventory by notifying users about its accurate condition, improves the speed of this job, and saves a lot of time that would otherwise be spent manually inspecting everything in storage. The digital team?s accountability lies in running the software smoothly, so it doesn?t miss out on doing the required tasks. The digital safety software should be doing four standard tasks. Firstly, it should log the temperature. Secondly, data should be labelled and food inspections should run automatically. Thirdly, the software should check the temperature of inventory items with sensors. And lastly, the safety of the food items and the checklist of the cleaning tasks should be maintained for both frontend and backend staff.

Digital menu boards are a simple and elegant solution for upgrading the appeal and look of restaurants. Despite being digital, these boards can be updated, modified, and customized with a click of a few buttons. Whether the aim is to highlight some weekly specials, showcase entrees with the highest margin, or underline local ingredients, a digital menu board can come in handy for all such purposes.

The credits for these endless benefits go to the increasingly sophisticated software that allows instant customization of menu boards. Even if you have multiple outlets across the town, content for all menu boards can easily be managed from a single desktop or mobile app. All this information brings up the question about places that design and supply digital menu boards. This series of blogs is dedicated to this query. We will pick one city per blog and divulge the top 5 places where you can get a digital menu board at a reasonable price. We begin this tour with New York City, so let’s find out:

1. FastSigns Digital Menu Boards

Fast Signs has outlets all across New York so whether you are in Manhatten or Madison Square or South Ozone Park, you will find its outlet within your reach. Being a market leader in this niche, it has enough experience and expertise to meet every expectation and requirement. If you live close by, you can just walk into their office any day from Monday to Friday between 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. It is a Google Registered firm, so browsing its nearest outlet should not be a problem. They provide both online consultation and quotes as per requirement. If you can’t make it to them on weekdays, just make an appointment for Saturday and they will be there with you. You may collect more information on their products and services at https://www.fastsigns.com/

2. DoPublicity

Do Publicity offers both digital menu boards and signage software that can be customized and managed from any location. Their product is ideal for both restaurant chains and individual outlets. They offer a 30-day free trial of their services that includes troubleshooting, remote management, and several other features. You may request a quote or test drive their templates at https://www.dopublicity.com/.

3. The Howard Company

They specialize in indoor displays and digital menu boards. The company is known for providing 360-degree solutions for internal displays which means you can rely on them for everything related to a digital display. Their services are a boon for those who need a one-stop solution for all menu related requirements like content designing, board specifications, placements, installation and troubleshooting. The company serves a wide range of industries including military, hospitality, automobile, banks, and so on. So, yes, they are reliable in terms of experience and expertise regarding digital displays. For more information, you can check them out at https://www.howardcompany.com.

4. Menu Design Group

Whether you are looking forward to adding some mouth-watering food images to your digital menu or keeping it simple in the chalkboard style, Manu Design Group can help with all. Highlighting features of their services include customizable template designs, quick edits, and HD quality graphics that grab attention from a distance. For more information on their products and services, you can reach out to them at https://www.menudesigngroup.com.

5. New York Sign Company

New York Sign Company specializes in the traditional kind of write-on style menus but is now foraying into digital menus as well. Their extensive experience and expertise in the field guarantee their hundred per cent commitment to the quality and design of the products. And they offer all without putting a dent in your budget. You can take a look at their product portfolio and services at https://newyorksigncompany.net.

Eco-Friendly Restaurant – If anything that the recent pandemic taught us right is to give the right kind of respect to our planet. Sustainability is not limited to adoption of a few healthy practices but it needs to be scaled up to a mass all-inclusive movement. And that includes the food and restaurant industry as well.

Eco restaurant or an environmentally friendly restaurant is not a new concept but now restaurant owners and goers are consciously working to make it happen. So, if you are also one of those restaurant owners planning to hold your social responsibility in a greener way, here are a few things you need to do:?

Modify The Menu: 

Every change begins from basics. If you really want to make strides towards an eco-friendly restaurant, you need to modify selection, purchase, and processing methods. Instead of offering everything all year, modify the menu according to the seasonal availability of ingredients. Famous restaurants like the Gate work on this principle and therefore change their menu four times a year.?

You can try rotating new dishes for 4-6 weeks to give place to ingredients having a short growing season. It will reduce your operational costs and even help your guests stay on the healthy side of their diet.?

Bring Back The Traditional Cooking Methods: 

No time is better than now to return to traditional cooking methods. The non-machinery based cooking procedures were not just eco-friendly restaurant but also had a distinct taste and nutrition level that is hard to find in mass-produced food items. And fear not, the trend of eating traditionally prepared food is an evergreen one, you wouldn?t lose any customers to this change.?

Find More Efficient Storage Systems: 

Efficient storage is key to the success of an environmentally conscious restaurant. Try to keep a tab on your products and label them according to the expiry date, remaining stock, etc. It will reduce wastage of raw materials and help make the best of money spent on the purchase. You can also take help from the latest technologies like a Point of Sale (PoS) system to keep track of the inventory and leave you enough time to take care of other relevant matters. 

Decrease The Portion Sizes: 

In the last few years, portion sizes have increased by 2-8 times what is permitted by the USDA. The practice has resulted in a significant increase in leftovers. You can take note of the portions and their consumption for a week or two and then decide if the portions served to guests need to be reduced or enhanced. It is a highly recommended measure for eateries trying to achieve the label of an eco-green restaurant. 

Keep A Check On All Perishables: 

Keep a strict check on perishable food items including vegetables, dairy products, and fruits. Most restaurant owners lose money on perishable items as they overlook or are unable to keep a check on the expiry of perishable products. Whether you are planning to change your image to an eco-green restaurant or not, the wastage of perishable items should be your highest priority.  

Go With Local Food Suppliers: 

If you are going with seasonal dishes then you need to establish partnerships with local traders and sellers from the closest farmer?s market. It cuts down transportation costs, shortens the supply chain, eases the management of purchase, and helps establish your restaurant as an environmentally conscious restaurant. Also, you can cut down your costs by buying in bulk from local markets.

For example, Scottish Cafe & Restaurant excels in Scottish cuisine and its owner, Suzzane, sources most of her products from local sources. Over time, the local suppliers start contacting her on their own as they became aware of her sourcing techniques. She also buys the peak-season products in bulk and tries to store them using different methods like freezing, drying, and preserving.?

Read this also : How Contactless Technology Creating BUZZ In Restaurant Ordering System 2022

Find Ways To Make Most of The Leftovers: 

There are several ways to manage leftovers. The best way is to partner with local businesses that distribute the leftovers to the homeless and destitute. Several NGOs have been working on these lines, you can find the ones in your neighborhood and leverage the opportunity to serve the community while minimizing food wastage.

Still, if you are left with food not finished by people you can always collect it separately and send it to kitchen recycle stations or compost areas. It will reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to creating a healthier world around us.?

Educate The Staff and Keep The Customers In The Loop Of Your Efforts: 

Once the cycle of green practices is on the go, you need to train your staff to integrate these activities into their daily routine. Inform your customers about it and request them to keep your efforts in mind while they are in the restaurant. While you cannot expect all consumers to follow or appreciate your efforts, there will be some who will admire your initiatives and recognize your dedication to sustainability. 

Start With One Step At A Time: 

You shouldn?t try to run before you walk. Consider your goals and break their pathway into small stages. Set a timeline for each stage and then try to follow the roadmap as best as possible. However, keep in mind that things may not go as per your plans and it may take a few years before you finally realize them in reality.

You can begin with small things like printing your menu on recycled paper or substituting paper menus with digital menus, using washable serving equipment, eco-friendly cleaning products, etc. Once these small changes are in place, you can move on to slightly bigger changes and then a little more significant change and so on. Just like Rome wasn?t built in a day, environmentally friendly restaurants take their time to turn things around.?

 Bring In Environmentally Sustainable Equipment: 

It includes installation of energy-efficient equipment, using solar panels for lighting, low flush toilets, turning off lights and ovens when you sign off for the day, and similar other practices. The goal shouldn?t just be to control costs but to reduce wastage on all fronts and optimum use of every resource in hand.?