Hospitality technology trends – part 1
Not so long ago, an evening at restaurant could easily become an extended night out if the restaurant became very busy. It could take a long time to grab the waiter’s attention when waiting for the bill or even to ask for it. Menu items that took extra long to prepare became an even longer wait because the ordering process was completely manual. In almost the blink of an eye restaurant automation has become highly specialised. Technologies develop and are implemented as quickly as we can imagine them and the food service industry is benefitting from them
Online ordering
Online ordering continues to grow within both the eat in and the fast food restaurant industry. While most online ordering is associated with takeaway and food delivery establishments, it is also becoming a trend in sit in restaurants. It is now perfectly possible to order your meal before you arrive, pay for it and then have your first course waiting for you on arrival. While this is still a very novel concept, it is simply the development of online ordering for delivery food moving into the next step of its evolution.
Online ordering has made an impressive impact on the efficiency with which even small restaurants can manage their kitchens. Fewer telephone orders mean there are less distractions and more hands to turn the orders over. This has led to increased revenue as customer satisfaction grows. The convenience for the customer is that they do not feel pressurised into deciding and can peruse the menu in their own time. Being able to see everything that is available on the menu and often even make bespoke requests in line with their dietary needs has removed the need for arrangements to be made ahead of time.