Restaurant Technology Trends to Expect in 2018

We as consumers tend to have an interesting approach technology in our day-to-day routines. On one hand, we welcome then but question them for potentially wasting our well-earned money on something that won’t be trending for much longer. Restaurant owners, however, are more optimistic as 2018 is a year where people are seemingly thinking progressively where technology plays an integral role in their business operations. Technology in the restaurant industry is making room for advancement in restaurant POS software. 2018 is possibly the year where your restaurant POS system has promoted from being a mere convenience to a necessary tool for increasing efficiency and enhancing customer dining experience. It’s now seen as a source of oxygen that successful restaurant management relies to live and thrive.

Forgot your wallet at home? Don’t have enough change to pay for your meal? Trying to make an online payment but don’t remember your password? That won’t be an issue for that much longer thanks to the facial recognition payment system that is currently under development by Alipay. Though intended for fast food chains and quick service restaurants, this ground-breaking payment system is specifically designed to streamline orders and wait-time processes, moving customers through more efficiently – improving customer service altogether. All it takes is scanning your face using the front camera of your smartphone. Other online payment services are also using biometrics akin to Alipay such as Apple Pay which solely relies on fingerprint scanner used on an iPhone.

In efforts to advance your restaurant promotions and sales, investing in a restaurant menu software that tailors best to your business needs could be advantageous and worth it. Featuring a large LCD screen that displays your range of dishes electronically provides the ability to change the price and update menu items as frequent as you like. It can also reduce the expenses of sign writers, printers as well as save staff time from having to list items on chalkboards and type on paper-based menus. Furthermore, digital restaurant menu software enables you to display ingredients, allergen information, and dietary restrictions with gluten-free, nut-free and vegan options without the wait staff having to remember off-hand. Patrons are beginning to appreciate the convenience of knowing where their food is coming from and how it’s being prepared but most importantly, what ingredients are being used. The appeal of tablets is that restaurant technologies have ascended primarily due it its cost-effectiveness.

Mobile devices are of value when it comes to placing orders and payments online. As one of the most popular technology trends in the restaurant industry, start-up entrepreneurs and veteran restaurateurs continue to utilize this tool to simplify online orders, process payments, and segue deliveries more efficiently. For starters, those who would rather dine at home can request for delivery services or pick-up takeaway as long as your website has the provisions to meet the customer’s needs with this technology. This is essential for restaurants that rely their profits on delivery and takeaways. Patrons have a higher preference to making payments via mobile devices so why not make it easier for them to do so?

Self-service kiosks are evidently no longer supplemental to a restaurant’s ecosystem. As expected in the coming year, more restaurants are employing self-service orderings and checkouts. This restaurant trend is becoming mainstream because it reduces operational costs, and improves order accuracy. In fact, there are several restaurants like Eatsa, Honeydew and Moxie’s that have taken it a step further to become “automat-style restaurants”. In other words, they are now completely self-service. To become a complete self-service restaurant, however, this trend requires user-friendly, reliable, yet advanced technology in order to be functional.

Order customization, another restaurant technology trend that is becoming fashionable in the food industry. While automated systems are vulnerable to human error, this trend eliminates the problem. But above all, this system allows staff to spend more time on food preparation and delivery and less time vetting mistyped orders. But with more integration of technology in the restaurant industry comes more changes among the brick and mortar experience that patrons are beginning to realize. Before restaurateurs seriously consider updating or pivoting their current business model, they need to understand that it is their foremost responsibility to ensure that the needs of their customers are met whether they order to stay or to go. While you can’t predict the future of your business, you can take the necessary steps to achieve success in both your revenue and customer satisfaction.