Implementing restaurant-centered technologies can streamline your day-to-day work processes, improve employee productivity, and help your restaurant become more successful than ever.
For the past 30 years, new technologies have infiltrated almost every facet of our lives, connecting us to communities around the globe, making shopping more convenient, and streamlining our work. This technology boom is continuing today, and the development of innovative restaurant focused technology is making it easier than ever to run a successful restaurant or restaurant chain.
Below is a list of restaurant technologies and back-of-house software packages that are essential for fostering growth and sustainable success.
1. Inventory Management Software
The average restaurant dedicates a third of its entire budget to food and inventory costs. This means that every expired ingredient in your walk-in is eating up monetary resources that could be put to better use. Implementing a digital inventory management system takes the headache out of your inventory process and can reduce waste—freeing up funds that can then be channeled into other aspects of your business.
2. Purchasing Software
The relationship between a restaurant and its suppliers is essential. A good supplier relationship can ensure your restaurant is always well-stocked and your customers can order their favorite meals. Restaurant technology has been developed that reduces the chances of over or under ordering, saving money and keeping your relationship with your suppliers a pleasant one.
3. Restaurant Reporting Software
Using data to drive decision making is one of the quickest ways to get your restaurant in the black and start turning a reliable profit. Finding effective restaurant reporting software can allow you to see behind the curtain of your daily operations and make informed decisions when you spend your money. Investing in restaurant reporting technology can optimize your dollar spend and help you make more money. What’s not to like?
4. Restaurant Operations Software
Creating a consistent experience for guests is one of the best ways to turn casual diners into loyal patrons that return to your restaurant again and again. Using back-of-house software to systematize your store operations empowers your employees and makes it easy to maintain a higher standard of service by creating customized task and checklists for your staff.
5. Employee Care Software
In the often chaotic restaurant industry, retaining experienced staff can be difficult. By implementing scheduling and attendance software, you can make sure that your employees are being scheduled fairly, compensate your staff for working overtime, and easily manage shift trade and time-off requests. Happy employees are 20% more productive than unhappy workers, which makes investing in restaurant technology that improves morale a no brainer.
7. Food Safety Software
Infecting a customer with a foodborne illness is a nightmare scenario for any restauranteur. By harnessing back-of-house software that monitors food temperatures, schedules routine cleaning and maintenance, and outlines necessary corrective actions when necessary, you can serve every dish with confidence.
8. Cash Management Software
A shocking 75% of U.S. workers have stolen from their place of employment, which begs the question: how can I prevent employee theft? When you implement cash management software in your restaurant, you can effectively monitor your restaurant’s daily cash flow and keep your employees honest without having to supervise each shift in person. This restaurant technology allows you to track cash from the customer to the register to the safe to the bank. Keeping track of your cash has never been easier.
It can be intimidating to change the way you run your restaurant, especially when it comes to finances and day-to-day operations that affect your entire staff. As your business grows, you can fully harness the power of comprehensive restaurant management software to streamline your workflow and improve the success of your restaurant. And who knows? With your restaurant running like a well-oiled machine, maybe you’ll even be able to take a well-deserved vacation.