Can Technology Reduce Stress for Restaurants?

Kitchen Technology Reduce Stress Restaurant
  • BelGioioso Burrata
  • AyrKing Mixstir
  • RATIONAL USA
  • Imperial Dade
  • Red Gold Sacramento
  • RAK Porcelain
  • T&S Brass Eversteel Pre-Rinse Units
  • DAVO Sales Tax
  • Atosa USA
  • Simplot Frozen Avocado
  • Texas Pete
  • McKee Foodservice
  • Inline Plastics Safe-T-Chef
  • Day & Nite
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Between the Covid pandemic, labor shortages and a struggling food supply chain, it’s no wonder that restaurants are feeling the heat.

Finding ways to reduce stress on your business and staff is necessary to survive and succeed. Technology can provide the tools to make managing day-to-day logistics easier.

Technology has become the norm for most industries across the globe, and even the more-traditional food industry is embracing some high-tech solutions. Stay on top of technology trends to tap into where digitization can help staff save time and energy, what’s popular with customers and what your competitors may already have in place.

Combating Staff Shortages and Keeping Track of Supply

Shortages of products and people have been a problem since the start of the pandemic, but the situation has become more dire this year. International conflict has crippled the supply chain  with a lack of crucial products like wheat and oil, and rising energy prices have made transportation costly. Staffing shortages that started during the pandemic have continued to be a looming problem for the industry.

For many restaurants, these two problems are intertwined. Problems with suppliers and missing supply fall on your staff to manage. Menus have to be revamped with little notice, alternative products have to be ordered and your staff have to make it happen.

  • Simplot Frozen Avocado
  • RAK Porcelain
  • Texas Pete
  • McKee Foodservice
  • RATIONAL USA
  • Imperial Dade
  • BelGioioso Burrata
  • Red Gold Sacramento
  • DAVO Sales Tax
  • Inline Plastics Safe-T-Chef
  • AyrKing Mixstir
  • Atosa USA
  • Day & Nite
  • T&S Brass Eversteel Pre-Rinse Units

For example, Choco makes the process of communicating with suppliers easier and less time-consuming. Choco is an app where you can order from all your suppliers in a single place. Your whole team can see what’s available, submit an order in minutes and talk with your suppliers. “Before Choco, I used to spend at least one hour ordering every day, now I can do that in just 5-10 minutes. There’s no tension or pressure,” Pujan Sarkar, Chef at Rooh in San Francisco, described the app.

With turnover at an all-time high and shortages making it difficult to find qualified employees, technology can help to make regular tasks easier and less stressful for your staff.

Online Ordering & Portable Payments

Online ordering became the norm in the industry during the height of the covid pandemic. It’s now become an expectation from consumers to be able to place and pay for take-out orders independently. While online ordering is a reality for the industry, tech solutions can take some of the stress out of handling take-out orders with less time spent answering calls and processing payments over the phone.

A newer trend popping up throughout the industry is the prevalence of portable payments. Many popular restaurant POS options offer portable payment devices so staff can take and process credit card payments at the table. This is an extension of the touchless payment technology already popular in the industry.

Some restaurants are taking it even further with technology for customers to browse the menu, order and pay all from the table. This self-service phenomenon is popular in larger restaurant chains where a large waitstaff is needed to serve every table. Letting customers order and pay themselves leaves staff free to serve food and handle online orders.

While not every ordering and payment option is needed for all restaurants, customers and staff can benefit from self-service options that make the process of sending tickets to the kitchen and getting paid for your services easier.

AI Advancements in Food Production

For a long time, artificial intelligence has been a concept for the future. No longer. Artificial intelligence is already at work in many industries in the world, including food. Automated machines can analyze production lines to pull out bad produce, count the seeds on a bun or even combine pre-made ingredients into a dish and serve it to a customer.

While it may take some time and refinement before robot waiters or line cooks are a reality for the average restaurant, there are already machines at work in restaurants across the country.

Fast food restaurants like McDonalds and others are using ordering kiosks to reduce the need for human cashiers and long lines for customers. Not only does this cut down on the need for staff to keep an eye on customer flow and be ready to jump in during a rush, but it allows staff to focus more energy on producing and serving food. While these machines are basically larger versions of a handheld ordering and payment device, some companies are also experimenting with virtual assistants to answer customer queries or even facial technology to recognize repeat customers.

The food industry is evolving and technology is playing its part. While the heart of the restaurant will always be the kitchen and the creative minds that serve up satisfying meals, tech can be a solution for other hassles adding stress to your operation.

  • BelGioioso Burrata
  • T&S Brass Eversteel Pre-Rinse Units
  • McKee Foodservice
  • RAK Porcelain
  • Red Gold Sacramento
  • Simplot Frozen Avocado
  • RATIONAL USA
  • Inline Plastics Safe-T-Chef
  • Day & Nite
  • Texas Pete
  • Imperial Dade
  • DAVO Sales Tax
  • AyrKing Mixstir
  • Atosa USA