Management of any business can be challenging, particularly when there are many factors to consider on a daily basis. When running a restaurant, countless moving parts must come together to achieve success. From food orders to staff scheduling, many aspects of the business demand careful planning and management. Fortunately, technology can help make this task easier. Here are six ideas for using technology to help run a restaurant.
1. Establish a POS System
Point of sale (POS) technology is critical to the success of any restaurant. The system allows employees to quickly record orders, allowing for faster service and fewer errors. If you already have a POS system in place, updating the software may help ensure it is running smoothly. You can also go online to find tutorials or support forums which allow users with similar systems to share information about how to set it up, configure the software, and troubleshoot issues with the hardware.
2. Keep Track of Inventory
Restaurant managers must keep careful track of their inventory to ensure that they don’t run out of crucial ingredients or supplies. Technology can help make this task easier by automating inventory tracking across multiple locations; this way, if a restaurant is running low on potatoes in Charlotte, you can quickly identify the location where more is needed.
3. Implement a POS App
A point of sale app allows managers to run their restaurants from anywhere, using their mobile phone or tablet. This allows them to address problems as they occur and makes it easier to participate in staff meetings, in-person training sessions, and other managerial duties.
4. Track Employee Performance
Even the best employees can have an off day now and then; however, if you consistently fail to meet your targets, it may be time to re-evaluate their performance. Luckily, there are numerous free resources online which allow restaurant managers to track their employees’ performance and see how they stack up against their peers.
5. Create a Loyalty Program
Customer loyalty programs have been around for years, and they’re still effective at building repeat customers and increasing revenue. What’s changed is the number of options for these types of programs–applications now exist that enable you to track customer data from almost any device since most people now have smartphones with them almost constantly. That means restaurateurs can offer discounts through those applications and on their websites or traditional social media sites like or Twitter. More importantly, restaurateurs can manage these loyalty programs almost completely in-house, which means they don’t have to pay a third party to handle the program for them.
6. Use Dynamic Menus
Many restaurateurs have also started using dynamic menus, which allow them to share information about their food and drinks across social media platforms. Not only does this help people decide where they want to eat while they’re out and about, but it’s also another way for restaurateurs to show off the creativity and passion that went into creating each dish. After seeing pictures of its food online, customers who visit a restaurant may be more likely to return to try the specialties they saw advertised.
Investing in the latest technology can help you take your restaurant to the next level. Whether it’s using a POS system that keeps track of inventory or building a customer loyalty program, there are many ways that technology can improve the efficiency of your business.