As a group, millennials vary in age from early twenties to late-thirties. Good news for you: as a group, they love dining out, and they appreciate new food and beverage experiences. They were raised in an age saturated with technology, so it’s natural for them to expect a certain level of technology to be available in the stores and restaurants that they frequent. And while millennial business owners may naturally integrate this technology into their restaurants, it may take stepping back and examining your business to discover the best ways to attract and keep these new customers. Show off yo ..read more

Without a doubt, the restaurant industry is getting more crowded and competitive all the time. Consider, for example, entire concepts being launched exclusively in delivery apps, with orders prepared in ghost kitchens. Stand-out brands need to continually be forward-thinking to not only compete but also accommodate the constantly changing wants and needs of customers. In the spotlight lately: a race to differentiate on service, and its focus: point-of-service. It’s time for point-of-service to catch up with point-of-ordering, and the companies that do this well will win stomachs, hearts, minds ..read more

One of the biggest selling points of quick service and fast casual restaurants is that they’re fast. When you look up from the register to see a long line of customers staring down at their mobile phones instead of eating lunch or engaging with your brand, something has clearly gone wrong. Let’s explore a few ways the situation can be remedied—and fast!  Promote online and mobile app ordering. Stop lines before they start by promoting online and mobile ordering on your website and social channels. Even if a customer is already inside your restaurant, it should never be too late to place an ord ..read more

Gift cards: who hasn’t used one? Consider these gift and rewards program stats: Gift card recipients spend, on average, 40% more in your business than the face value of their gift cards. 90% of customers received a gift card last year. Gift card / stored value processing fees are lower than processing fees for debit/credit cards. Offering gift cards and rewards programs can boost revenue and engagement. When searching for a gift card and rewards partner, be prepared to answer questions such as whether you want to give customers the ability to choose the card value; how you want to sell and dis ..read more

In today’s connected world, there are certain technologies that consumers have come to expect from restaurants. It starts with an updated, easy-to-navigate website and regularly monitored social media accounts, but it doesn’t stop there. Your customers are engaging with your restaurant long before they walk through your doors and well after they leave. Today’s technology – including customer relationship management software – is designed to help you interact with customers where and when they are ready to interact with you, so take advantage of the opportunity at the right times. Before their ..read more

How we acquire, access, and use technology has changed dramatically in recent years. In restaurant and retail, we’ve begun to see changes in how business owners acquire their point of sale (POS) systems.  You are probably all too familiar with the burdens and challenges that traditional POS systems have presented for restaurant and retail owners and managers, including: You had to buy them, which meant paying out a big pile of money up front that you either had to have on hand or borrow. Complicated contracts, and often, additional maintenance and service contracts. Installation and training t ..read more

Over the course of the last decade, the consumer experience has changed drastically thanks to the rise of new technologies. The goal of many of these technologies is to make interactions at the point of sale as frictionless as possible. These changes have been uniform across all industries, but especially in retail and hospitality. Mobile technology has put more power in the consumer’s hand. With a few taps on a smartphone app, anyone can order food or have it delivered, get a ride across town, or even have groceries delivered to their home. Due to all of these changes, legacy POS systems are ..read more

As-a-service keeps technology and cash flow within reach. With digital technology changing faster than you can say “Alexa,” it can make sense for small business owners to choose as-a-Service (aaS) over ownership. After all, why buy expensive hardware and software for it to quickly become outdated when you can just “rent” it and always have the most recent version. It is maddening to have technology change almost as soon as your purchased equipment is taken out of the box. That’s why aaS has grown so popular. AaS is the on-demand delivery of anything as a service. It’s similar to your phone pla ..read more

When you’re a restaurant owner or manager, you have a constantly growing list of renovations, improvements, and other changes that you would like to see come to life. Some of these renovations might be necessary or and some may be due to emergencies, but others are lower on the list of importance. Either way, carrying out any of these improvements will likely take a lot of time and will definitely come with a hefty price tag. When the average restaurant’s margins are only 3-5%, turning your ideas into a reality can seem far-fetched.  You’re constantly forced to decide what you need and what yo ..read more

Reposted from QSR Automations Food safety is something many of us take for granted. We see certificates on the walls of our favorite restaurants stating that certified food safety experts are working to protect those who dine with them. For many years, I taught the National Restaurant Association’s Food Safety Certification program, ServSafe. That training, testing, and certification of restaurant leadership should put our minds at ease. Theoretically, it adds a layer of protection to the cycle of food as it enters the restaurant through the back door, is stored, prepared, heated, or held cold ..read more