The pandemic shook every industry exceedingly. However, the effects have been longer-lasting for specific industries and more challenging to heal from. This is the case with the restaurant business.
In March 2020, a staggering 10% of US restaurants issued their staff notice and closed for good. Food truck operators were affected even more. According to data shared from Restaurant Dive, 22.5% of the food trucks shut down during the outbreak. The number of closings decreased at that point. However, there were still many that closed.
Today, numerous bars, cafes, and restaurants struggle to keep their doors open. Their owners are trying every trick to earn profits. This includes adopting new technologies that will allow them to keep operating. This article will examine some of the technology currently used by the business. We will then look at the new technologies expected to be implemented soon.
Excellent ROI from the introduction of Digital Screens
The technology being developed is revolutionary. It is how it is used that is shown to be transformational—for instance, the application for the digital screen.
The majority of restaurants began using them after the epidemic. They realized that digital displays could be the most efficient way to inform customers about limitations and remind staff of higher hygiene standards they had to follow. After a while, it was no longer required to remind staff of these standards, and using the digital menus for restaurant boards was booming as restaurant owners looked for ways to use the screens they’d invested in before the pandemic.
Digital menus allow restaurateurs to adjust prices every day and even the next. This, in the face of increasing food costs, is an important aspect. Also, it makes it simpler for them to cook available meals. It is possible to add the latest dish in just a few minutes. After that, take it off once it has gone out of stock.
Customer Ordering Technology
They also enjoy having more options regarding how they choose their meals. Specific customers prefer to be seated at a table where they can sit and wait for someone else to serve them an order. Some prefer to be served fast. They would like to relax before scanning a QR code which takes them to the online menu to decide what they’d like to order before the server arrives.
In the present, people don’t always prefer dining out. They prefer to use the internet, place an order for something, go to local shops, and then go back to the restaurant after picking up their food.
Technology has enabled restaurants to accommodate these different preferences in order. Learn more about the ways they are doing this in this post.
Kitchen Management Technology
The lack of staff is among the most significant issues that face restaurants. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find employees willing to work long required hours. This is especially true for the kitchen staff. The job is well-trained, but the pay is low, and working for long hours sitting in a scorching atmosphere is not appealing to many people.
This is why a large portion of the latest technology nearing being implemented is focused around the kitchen. Restaurants are trying to make their work easier for their employees while simultaneously increasing their efficiency. Examples of this type of technology include:
- Faster cooking with impinger ovens and intelligent technology
- Automating food safety inspections and workflow
- investing in food preservation technology so that staff can prepare more food items in advance.
The Future is Likely to be Robotic
All the technology we’ve discussed here is currently being utilized extensively and has impacted. It’s helping everyone in the field to function more effectively and serve customers better. However, that’s only one aspect of the story.
Foodservice is close to another transformational shift. Robots likely dominate the future as more restaurants struggle to recruit front-of-house personnel and cooks, the more likely that this will happen.
Kitchen robots have already been utilized in a handful of places. For instance, The White Castle chain is already making French fries, and the Flippy system from Miso is beginning to use fast-food restaurants.
