FSTEC concluded recently in Grapevine, TX, and I had the pleasure of attending. The event is based on the knowledge that “technology has a larger-than-ever role in restaurants today, so having the right tools and expertise is critical to the success of your business… [and you should attend this] top foodservice technology conference to learn about the latest innovations and connect with your peers and potential partners.”
I love the FSTEC event. It brings together some of the smartest, most forward-thinking and determined brands and solutions providers out there. People really come to learn, get inspiration, and make powerful decisions. Here are my KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
Guests come in all shapes and sizes, and they all have different preferences. Meet them the way they want to transact – drive thru, online ordering, cash registers, servers, tablets, QR code, kiosks —- pick the ones that best fit both your service model and your ideal guests preferred habits.
2. BRING ON THE ROBOTS
Labor saving will be a growing focus for operators that includes everything from using handhelds to take orders to robots that cook food and self-ordering options like QR codes and kiosks.
3. MARKETING’S SECRET WEAPON
Operationalize your customer facing team to share your marketing messages. You want loyalty sign ups, follows on TikTok, get your guests to order ahead instead of waiting until they are in the store? Make sure your guest facing team can message this consistently to your guests.
4. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE
Need to drive up average order value and frequency or even be able to measure it? LOYALTY. Nearly every single panel I attended went into a loyalty discussion.
5. THE RIGHT TECH
Yes, we all are focused on tech that helps the guest experience, but the best tech is one that also helps the team.
6. THE RIGHT DATA
You can’t look at a single data point about guest habits and make a decision. You must really understand how guests act. The most important metrics? Frequency and AOV.
If you were at the FSTEC, what did you take away?
P.S. If you want to make friends at tradeshows, take people on a food crawl to eat some of the best local food, which in this case, was BBQ from Vaqueros (pictured above).
Thanks for reading to the bottom. You are my favorite and that’s why I take the time to write and share this kind of info… I’m here to help you. Connect with me on Instagram or LinkedIn if you have any questions!
