The use of technology in restaurant management has become the new norm, boosting productivity, improving customer satisfaction, and reducing human error. The possibilities of automation in conversational AI drive-thrus or full-service robots are endless, but the roles are not fully replaced. According to a restaurant automation survey, more than half of restaurant owners say front-of-house restaurant operations can easily be automated with today’s technology. Most restaurants (76%) currently use automation in three or more areas of operation and agree that certain roles are more automatable than others.
Let’s explore the top automation systems for restaurants to discover ways to streamline business operations and improve profit margins.
Online Ordering & Delivery Automation
Online ordering surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains a vital part of the restaurant industry. Automation simplifies everything from order placement to delivery coordination.
By integrating with platforms like Uber Eats and DoorDash, restaurants ensure seamless communication between customers, staff, and delivery drivers. The online food delivery market realizes revenue of about U.S. $1.22tn in this year. Additionally, revenue from online food delivery will expand at an annual growth rate of 8.29% and reach a volume of U.S. $466,472 million in 2026.
The result? Faster service, fewer errors, and enhanced customer satisfaction. Automated systems also allow restaurants to scale their delivery operations efficiently, meeting growing demand without sacrificing quality.
Self-Service Kiosks
Self-service kiosks are quickly changing the traditional methods of ordering from counters in fast food, coffee shops, casual dining, fast food restaurants, and QSR idustires. These kiosks enable customers to place their orders, thus preventing close contact with the front desk staff.
The number of restaurant kiosks grew by 43% from mid-2021 to June 2023, reaching nearly 350,000 installations globally. The firm projects this figure will double to around 700,000 by 2028.
Also, the use of self-service kiosks reduces order errors because customers key in their orders themselves. It has increased efficiency and order accuracy, better management, and reduced mistakes resulting from miscommunication.
Moreover, it also reduces customers’ expectations because they can customize their orders with the same efficiency as a kiosk, helping them to have a better dining experience.
QR Code Menu Automation
QR code menus found their popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic since their usage provided both convenience for customers and employees. With a single tap of the code using their hand-held gadgets, customers can access the menu and place an order, not to mention that there would be no need to have contact with the hardcopy kind of menus for doing all these.
Restaurants can benefit from this automation as it eliminates the need for many employees, such as when preparing the menu and when there is a change. QR codes are compatible with websites, tables, and receipts and can rather quickly be integrated into restaurant operations.
Another advantage of using QR code menu automation is that it also reduces contact and desynchronizes the order-taking section, making it easier for clients to order foods with minimal contact.
Restaurant Point Of Sales (POS) System
A POS System is a technology that restaurants cannot live without since it handles order taking and inventory. A good POS makes day-to-day operations easier by managing orders and sales, staff data, and stock control.
Furthermore, it enables clear communication of the orders between the server and preparation area, which decreases order errors and backorders. POS systems also offer data on sales analysis so that you can change the staff scheduling and ordering of supplies.
This core of restaurant automation increases efficiency, raises reliability and general quality of offered services, as well as delivers effective cooperation between workers primarily due to the improved structure of the organizational system.
Voice AI Ordering
Voice AI ordering is one of the modern trends in restaurant services, and customers are capable of ordering only by voice. It is most widely known in the drive-thru and Quick Service Restaurants to show value, convenience, and rapid delivery.
Voice ordering systems that are driven by artificial intelligence excellently interpret customer orders, unique choices, and even recommendations. It minimizes employee participation in taking orders and also enhances order fulfillment precision.
It also improves customers’ satisfaction by making food ordering more efficient, creative, and interactive, changing the way people customize and engage with the quick-service restaurants and the drive-through.
Restaurant Robots
Robotics have entered restaurants to perform numerous tasks, including cooking, serving, and washing dishes. A significant number of first-tier fast-food franchises and many new ideas in the dining industry are incorporating these machines into their service delivery models to help lighten the load for employees and save time.
Robotics could reduce labor costs for restaurants by 30% to 70%, offering significant savings. While there is currently only one service robot for every 1,500 restaurants, many are advancing beyond prototypes and can now perform tasks traditionally handled by humans. In the same way, robots help reduce staff’s exposure to guests and interactions and enable them to enhance the guests’ experience, leading to innovation of value in restaurant services and food and beverage services in the future.
These restaurant robots can also cook foods by frying, grilling, mixing, and serving them straight from the kitchen to the table or the pick-up points to guarantee standard food quality. By automating these roles, restaurants can make do with fewer staff members without necessarily compromising the quality of the services they are offering.
Digital Loyalty Programs
Mobile loyalty programs are particularly important to restaurants that seek to engage their customers in long-term loyalty reward programs. They integrate well with point-of-sale (POS) systems to manage costs for purchases and to accumulate committed marketing conjunct points. Similarly to how customers place orders, their activity data fixes them and their profiles with preferences and spending habits. This makes customer targeting achievable because restaurants can readily enhance customer reach through the promotion of a certain meal at a given reduced price or an introduction of certain meals to the market.
Furthermore, these programs also increase the recognition and care of patrons to create a business sense of appreciation from the consumers, apart from enabling the business to recognize the general trends of its customers. Lastly, digital and branded loyalty solutions encourage an active community and brand appreciation and enhance product frequentation, which is critical for restaurants.
Reporting And Analytics
Analytics and the achievement of insights through restaurant data analytics are important tools in restaurant industry systems, as they improve operating capabilities and profit returns. Many KPIs, including sales fluctuations, labor charges, necessary inventory, and customer preferences, can be observed by restaurant managers due to reporting.
Daily, weekly, and monthly reports help owners identify cost overruns and make sure expenses remain under control. For example, one can find out how many sales are made during certain times and thus find out when staffing levels are at their best, or arrange to take better stock of inventory level to avoid overstocking, and this ensures a smaller inventory is ordered.
In this way, the need for customers is considered when adjusting the menu, which means that dishes are created based on customers’ choices. It also enables restaurants to address changes in the market and ensure that best-selling foods are always available to customers to increase their satisfaction.
Implement The Best Automation System For Restaurant With Checkmate
Automation systems are crucial to the restaurant industry, and should be adopted to ensure efficiency. They help reduce time, eradicate guesswork, and increase satisfaction for the customer. Are you tired of lagging behind competitors and want to upgrade your restaurant with sophisticated automation systems? Call us today for better solutions aligned with your business requirements, and improve your restaurant now!
