How eating places can keep forward of the tech curve

Restaurant homeowners and operators are more and more turning to expertise to streamline operations, improve buyer experiences and drive income progress.

A panel dialogue on the latest Quick Informal Government Summit, hosted by Networld Media Group and held in Denver, Colorado, gave attendees the chance to debate the best way to future-proof their manufacturers by optimizing workflow, stock administration and information utilization. This strategic method can result in important effectivity positive factors and value financial savings.

The panel session “Constructing Restaurant Empires: Redefining Operational Excellence By Expertise” checked out modern methods to have interaction eating places and construct loyalty and unlock untapped alternatives.

Session panelists included Geoff Alexander, president and CEO Wow Bao, Gregg Majewski, CEO of Craveworthy Manufacturers, Chris Schultz, CEO of Voodoo Doughnut and André Verner, founding companion of Canine Haus. Ming-Tai Huh, head of meals and beverage for session sponsor Sq., served as moderator.

Selecting tech companions

Huh requested the panelists about their expertise investments and the framework for investing in tech.

Verner mentioned it is essential for manufacturers to try what they’re making an attempt to resolve earlier than making that funding. “All of the tech (and) all of the distributors on the market all assist you to 100%,” he mentioned. “The query is which of them are going that will help you be higher and quicker and assist get you to your North Star, no matter you are making an attempt to perform.”

For his model Canine Haus, it is one thing the corporate wants to debate with employees to find out their bandwidth, and when you join a tool, are you going to make use of it in its entirety.

“Usually, we have a look at three new rollouts of tech in a yr, however we do not need to do greater than that as a result of (staff) haven’t got the bandwidth,” he mentioned. “The opposite half – some folks may be in a franchise system comparable to we’re a franchisor firm. We now have to speak to the management council about how a lot funds we have now to place into it that they need to make investments.”

Majewski mentioned Craveworthy Manufacturers’ North Star can be Restaurant365 as its back-of-house system. Understanding what your tech companions really do is crucial as manufacturers add tech to their portfolio. Whereas a model may be in search of a tech answer, considered one of their present tech companions could already provide it.

“You have to really know what’s on the market and what they’re persevering with so as to add,” Majewski mentioned. “If you companion with any tech service or tech group, they have to be a part of your precise infrastructure and your crew. You have to have common conversations with them.”

He mentioned discovering the appropriate tech companion is paramount to a model’s success.

Alexander mentioned the quantity of expertise out there may be overwhelming, however his model seems to be to the place they need to be after which finds the expertise to get them there.

“Your expertise you usher in has to serve a goal,” he added, “and it has to create a profit. That profit must be on your staff and your shoppers.”

His model Wow Bao put in self-ordering kiosks because the forefront of the digital revolution some 15 years in the past, lengthy earlier than it was generally utilized in eating places.

Schultz mentioned it is essential to not get wrapped up within the “shiny penny” by utilizing tech only for tech’s sake. “I feel it is taking the time to essentially sit again and actually speaking to your peer teams and speaking to the parents that use it. Get references from folks that really use it,” he mentioned.

Visitor engagement

Relating to listening to from friends about how an organization is doing, Schultz mentioned it is proper close to the highest, if not the highest, of significance in Voodoo Doughnut. He makes use of Tattle, a visitor suggestions firm, for enter from clients.

“We needed to gamify it — give a purpose for the shopper to surrender suggestions,” he mentioned. Voodoo requested for suggestions for six months with out gamification and received no responses.

Second, he made suggestions part of the shop supervisor’s bonus. “The variety of responses and the way they scored is all a part of their bonus now. We have seen an enormous uptick in responses from clients,” Schultz added. “We not solely use expertise, however we additionally rely Googles and Yelps. We try this manually.”

Lastly, Voodoo Doughnut modifications its buyer questions on a quarterly foundation to maintain surveys contemporary for the buyer.

Workers speaking about their retailer’s Tattle rating is a method they keep engaged.

Majewski mentioned getting suggestions from clients is among the issues eating places should do no matter ROI.

“In case you do not use (suggestions) and really spend the time in mining that information to truly see what the purchasers are saying, you then’re paying for a service that really provides you a rating that will help you get a five-star evaluation,” Majewski mentioned.

He began seeing pricing as a difficulty for his clients two years in the past, so he launched lower-priced choices with out calling it a worth menu.

“You’ll by no means, ever get a return when you do not really take the time to guage and browse” suggestions, Majewski mentioned.

Operational excellence

Huh requested the panelists about automation and what components they’re automating.

Alexander mentioned there’s tech out there for stock management, back-of-the home methods, funds, velocity of service, the way you’re interacting together with your shoppers and extra, and it is simple to get overwhelmed with the options out there.

“What tech creates, although, is it creates low contact and excessive tech,” Alexander added. “At Wow Bao, we went excessive tech and low contact. We created three eating places that had been totally automated. Zero human interplay. You ordered off a tool, and the meals received delivered to you thru automated customized cubbies.

“And, when COVID got here, when folks thought that was the best thought on the planet to have totally automated eating places, I really took (automation) out of the eating places. I eliminated the cubbies and opened up the kitchen for the aim of getting that prime contact, low tech as a result of we’re within the hospitality enterprise and your expertise can do what you need it do, however you may’t lose sight of the buyer.”

He mentioned most tech within the restaurant house is made by non-restaurant folks, so manufacturers have to alter their fashions to suit their tech. Tech should be used to resolve issues however not on the expense of the buyer or worker.

Balancing hospitality with course of and automation

Huh requested what the principles are that eating places should not break and the place ought to they maintain the road.

Verner mentioned his model Canine Haus desires managers speaking with clients within the eating rooms. Even when there is a kiosk, an individual goes to deliver out the meals to the shopper. QS codes and kiosks are good, however there’s nonetheless a bartender and meals runner.

“Hospitality is the one factor that’s making Canine Haus profitable,” Verner mentioned. Regardless of the tech they’re utilizing, the primary query to ask is that if the meals is ideal, on time and scrumptious.

Schultz mentioned Voodoo makes doughnuts, and his model must be sure that the interactions on the counter are the appropriate interactions.

“Expertise is great, and every little thing is nice, however it’s by no means going to — at the very least in our enterprise — take away the individual behind the counter serving to them make their choice, saying thanks after they go away,” he mentioned. “And I feel persons are wanting increasingly more of that.”

Verner mentioned he goes to Starbucks continuously and as a substitute of utilizing cellular ordering he prefers to get in line and have a barista take his order. He seeks out that human interplay.

“I feel plenty of issues persons are coming to our eating places for is for the dialog,” he mentioned.

Alexander mentioned earlier than COVID, eating places had been within the hospitality trade. After COVID, eating places are within the meals trade, and “we have now to get again to hospitality and discover methods to make use of AI or use that expertise or use that kiosk or no matter it could be to make folks really feel that they’re valued,” he mentioned. “And that piece is getting misplaced in translation of excessive tech and low contact.”

Majewski cited Disney Parks as making reminiscences for shoppers, whether or not they’ve been there as soon as or repeatedly. The restaurant enterprise is not any totally different, as staff do not know if a buyer is new or has been there a number of instances.

“I really like tech behind the home, and all 4 of us have mentioned the identical factor, within the entrance of the home (hospitality) can’t be eliminated,” he mentioned.

Implementing tech with staff

Alexander mentioned staff are additionally shoppers. You need to clarify the “why” behind implementing expertise and ensure it is totally examined earlier than you give it to the workers to make use of in home.

When Wow Bao carried out expertise, Alexander mentioned he did not lose a single worker, however when you’re implementing tech – and often at an ideal value, particularly to scale — it’s good to make certain it is making the worker’s life simpler and that the worker has purchased into the concept that its helpful.

“You possibly can’t simply usher in a brand new laptop and assume it will work,” he defined. “You’ll by no means try this. You have to deal with it the identical means of getting that worker to grasp the ‘why’ behind it and the best way to put it to use.”

The Quick Informal Government Summit is owned by Networld Media Group.

Networld Media Group is a number one business-to-business media communications firm specializing in digital media, associations and occasions within the cellular, self-service, digital signage, meals service and monetary companies industries. The following trade occasion hosted by Networld Media Group would be the Self-Service Innovation Summit. Now in its fifth yr, SSIS will study advances in expertise which are empowering companies to supply services and products when, the place and the way shoppers count on them.