Technology is essential to running a successful food service business but knowing what kind of technology to invest in can be tricky. Before you even start down the rabbit hole of checking out POS systems, online ordering options, kitchen displays, digital menus, and more, first ask yourself: what do you want to achieve with restaurant technology?
What do you want to achieve by using technology in your restaurant?
Nation’s Restaurant News asked this very question as part of its comprehensive 2024 Restaurant Technology Outlook. Nearly 60% of respondents said that increasing efficiency and productivity is the primary benefit they want to achieve from technology, followed by time savings for staff and managers.
Finding technology that increases productivity and saves time is critical to restaurant success. But it begs the question: what kind of technology can increase restaurant productivity?
What kind of technology can increase restaurant productivity?
Let’s dive in.
4 Ways to Increase Restaurant Productivity
From POS systems and online ordering to kitchen displays and menu management, these are the 4 types of restaurant technology you need to improve restaurant productivity.
Cloud-based Point of Sale System
A point of sale system is a no-brainer for any quick service restaurant, coffee shop, or food truck, but a cloud-based POS system gives you and your restaurant the flexibility needed to increase restaurant productivity and manage operations from anywhere.
Take it up a notch with an all-in-one POS that truly enables you and your staff to:
- accept orders and process payments from anywhere
- provides commission-free online ordering
- works on just about any mobile device
- automates sales tax
- manages all your digital menus
- and a whole lot more!
Online Ordering and QR Code Orders
The more ordering options you offer, the higher the revenue potential. But there are also direct restaurant productivity and efficiency benefits to adding an online food ordering system.
First, putting customers in control of ordering helps to ensure order accuracy. Since the customer is entering their own order via mobile app or browser, they are able to select exactly what they want, choose modifications, and review their order before submitting.
Second, enabling your customer to submit their own orders frees up staff to handle more pressing, high-value tasks, like fulfilling orders and having more meaningful interactions with customers.
Kitchen Display System
The key to speedier, more accurate orders starts with a solid restaurant POS but using a built-in KDS system is where you can really boost your restaurant productivity.
Here’s why: The right KDS system:
- improves ticket times
- eliminates confusion
- alerts your customers when orders are ready.
Instead of interpreting hand-written orders or keeping track of paper tickets, the KDS is a digital screen mounted in your kitchen that aggregates every order, clearly displays ticket details and modifications at the correct station at the correct time, and tracks progress from start to finish. (Plus, Table Needs customers love the automatic order-up notifications!)
Digital Menu Management
To capture all the restaurant productivity gold from the above options, you’ll also need a great menu management tool that’s built into your POS system and works seamlessly with online ordering and your kitchen display system.
In addition to the restaurant productivity boost, a dynamic digital menu vastly improves customer experience by ensuring your menus are always up-to-date, offering multiple menus, and making modifications super easy. Win, win, win!
Can technology help improve your restaurant productivity?
Absolutely, but knowing what type of restaurant technology is best for your specific restaurant is critically important. If you’re a quick service restaurant, coffee shop, or food truck that wants to improve operations and attain profitability, we’d love to show you how Table Needs can help.
Schedule a hassle-free demo below to learn more.
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