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When was the last time you considered your current restaurant technology? Everything from your POS system to how well your place insulates heat has an impact. Yet many restaurant owners put off updating these things. In terms of investments, this can be a huge mistake, especially for a restaurant owner just starting out.
How reliable is your website's ordering system? How well would your storefront hold up in a hurricane? How fast is your in-restaurant wifi? These details matter to the 21st-century customer, and you need to have a plan to meet these needs!
Let's look at simple, smart technology-driven updates your restaurant should implement to increase foot traffic.
1) Online Ordering Capabilities
If your restaurant offers takeout ordering, there's a lot to be gained from creating a seamless digital platform. More and more often, customers expect simple, intuitive internet ordering services.
For a restaurant offering online ordering technology, the benefits are numerous. These can include, among many others:
- Increased Earnings: Placing an order online helps customers engage with your business more efficiently. Restaurant or not, anything that pulls down walls between you and a paying customer is for the best. Not having to order over the phone enables your customers to buy more readily buy additional items and pay with fewer obstacles.
- Data Management: Any orders placed digitally provide you an opportunity to analyze data. Use this information to your advantage to discover who your most consistent buyers are, how often they order, and what dishes are most popular. Then, adjust your marketing efforts accordingly!
Integrating an online ordering service is easier than you might expect. Third-party services streamline the process, giving you the tools to process digital orders. A quality plugin will integrate with your existing restaurant technology for a streamlined new system.
Look into popular options such as ChowNow, MenuDrive, or GrubHub to begin your online ordering service today!
2) A Digital POS
Point of Sale, or POS, technology is a standard part of the service industry's makeup. The vast majority of restaurants use POS systems to manage their sales process.
POS technology has become more sophisticated. Modern systems, for instance, can integrate with desktop tablets, phones, and other consumer devices. Customers and servers alike can easily navigate, order, and pay for their meals via these services.
Imagine the convenience of allowing a customer to pay right from their table, without waiting for a credit card to disappear into a back room for long periods! Your servers save time processing payments as well.
Check out the following highly-reviewed digital POS options for your restaurant today:
3) Accessible Wifi
Wifi isn't a nice perk for customers anymore. It's an expectation. If you're not provided free, fast internet for customers, you're alienating people unnecessarily.
Reliable wifi service leads to numerous other benefits, including increased sales. Groups of office workers need somewhere to work over lunch, after all.
As a final warning in the realm of wifi restaurant technology: always pick a wifi service provider with excellent reviews whom you know will be reliable. It might sound fickle, but a spotty connection can ruin the experience. Customers will get annoyed, it will color their experience, and they will be less likely to return.
Some highly-rated restaurant wifi providers include:
4) Online Loyalty Programs
The loyalty program is an essential part of the makeup of any restaurant - and always has been. Restaurant tech has changed the way we use loyalty programs, and there's no better time than now to create a presence in this space. It's easier than ever to design a personalized presence - whether through a standalone app or your online website.
Take the traditional punch card and throw it out the window. Now, with online loyalty programs, you can be up and running in a matter of minutes. Enjoy the benefits of accurate customer insights in a matter of minutes. Track customer behavior, offer exclusive deals to clients and create on-the-fly promo opportunities.
Combining online technology with your loyalty program makes the experience easier for everyone. The physical loyalty card may work fine, but customers tend to lose them. A digital tool is easier for the customer and provides more accurate data for you!
Some restaurant promotion platforms to check out include:
5) Impact Windows & Doors
Impact products have become all the rage in the modern restaurant industry - especially ones in severe weather areas. While one may not think of windows and doors as a technology offering, the science behind these products indeed are 21st century.
Impact glass is made from the same materials featured in car windshields. They feature two panes of glass bonded together with a robust, clear interlayer in between. The airspace between the two pieces is filled with a layer of polyvinyl butaryl (PVB), keeping the glass from splintering and scattering by acting as an adhesive. Added films on the outsides of the glass make the products even more shatter-resistant.
Adding windows and doors made from impact glass provides a wide range of benefits for restaurants, including:
- Outside noise reduction.
- UV ray-filtering.
- HVAC leakage elimination.
- Impact-resistant glass to prevent break-ins.
- Protection from external elements during severe weather.
- Enhanced Curb Appeal.
Remember, details such as poor indoor climate, sun-bleached tablecloths, unnecessary street noise, or window and door cracks and holes will drive customers away! It's all about the experience when it comes to any restaurant. Installing impact glass during planned restaurant renovations is a technological upgrade worth strongly considering.
Learn more in our FREE guide to refreshing your Florida Restaurant.
Restaurant Technology is Worth Updating
At the end of the day, a restaurant is only ever as good as the people running it. With passion and a love for the business itself, thousands of restaurants have grown into tremendous success stories over the years.
These success stories have all benefited from keeping an eye on the customer. Automated POS systems, online ordering, and high-quality structures all improve the customer experience. After all, if you're not improving on the past, you're far more likely to get left there.
Alco Windows and Doors is a trusted name in the impact window and door installation industry. For expert service and a product you can depend on, get in touch today to find out more about our products and services lines.
Are you ready to take your restaurant into the future with tailored technology? For more on how our outstanding windows and doors can transform your restaurant, be sure to check out some of our other blog content or visit us today!
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