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Technology in Restaurants: New & Helpful Systems & Trends

Revel Systems | January 28, 2021 |

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Technology in Restaurants: New & Helpful Systems & Trends

Technology in Restaurants: 5 Essentials for Every Business

Over the last decade, restaurant guests have changed their habits. People have changed the way they eat, what they eat, and where they eat. They want their food to meet a myriad of dietary requirements and restrictions while still providing a delicious experience. Guests also want more options such as a multitude of ordering and payment alternatives or a comprehensive menu they can browse on a high-end tablet.

The significant shifts in expectations and preferences have blossomed with a parallel consumer tech boom. Technology in the restaurant industry allows businesses to keep up with all the latest trends and conveniences consumers have come to expect.

In this article, we'll talk about the most crucial restaurant technology that helps maximize efficiency and revenue.

1 . Tablets for Customers

Giving your guests the ability to order through a modern digital menu and then securely and quickly make payment will bring your restaurant to a new level. Self-service restaurant technology trends started with quick-service restaurants (QSRs) like Taco Bell. Once Taco Bell enabled their customers to place orders using tablets, kiosks, and mobile apps, their digital order sales increased by 20% over traditional orders made with a human cashier.

However, it's no longer only Taco Bell – nowadays, you can find self-service technology in restaurants everywhere. From fine dining restaurants to casual pizza places, businesses everywhere use restaurant POS systems to display their digital menus and enable their guests to place orders quickly and effortlessly.

Tableside ordering is a superb option that boosts productivity and saves time. It results in faster table turn, safer payments, and happier guests.

2. Self-Service Kiosks

Stand alone, self-order kiosks are a remarkable example of new technology in restaurants that improves customer experience and service efficiency. They are particularly popular in casual restaurants because of the many advantages they bring:

  • Restaurants are better able to meet guest expectations by delivering a top-notch digital experience.
  • Guests have more control over the entire process, making it easy for them to browse through the menu and customize their orders.
  • Lines shorten, boosting ordering volume and overall restaurant productivity.
  • Self-checkout options are among the most popular restaurant technology services, appreciated by guests worldwide.

By providing your customers with an easy-to-use stand-alone kiosk, you will delight them visually and practically. However, you will also eliminate lines and allow employees to focus on tasks of higher value.

3. Handheld POS Order Takers

Restaurants that use traditional POS systems go through a somewhat lengthy payment process. The server needs to go to the table and ask if the guest is ready for a check, then bring the check to the guest, then take it to the POS terminal and finally come back again to the table with change if the guest paid in cash.

Handheld POS order takers—sometimes called mobile order takers—allow your employees to streamline their operations by enabling guests to order and pay at their table. Because handheld POS technology in restaurants allows fast ordering and payment, order speed and accuracy improves, and guests spend less time waiting for their orders and bills.

4. Contactless Payment

Contactless and mobile payment is becoming extremely important to guests globally. It's a brilliant solution that helps keep your guests safe by letting them tap or swipe to pay for their food. It helps avoid unnecessary physical contact between guests and staff, allowing everyone to stay as safe as possible and keep a social distance.

Contactless payment devices are lightweight and durable, and some of them enable all possible payment methods – anytime, anywhere in the restaurant.  

5. Printers

We can't discuss restaurants and technology without mentioning printers. While contactless payments and digital receipts may be taking over and growing in popularity, most restaurants still need the option to use paper receipts. And to print any sort of receipts, you need a quality printer. There are two basic types of printers for restaurants:

Receipt Printer

Receipt printers, also known as thermal printers, are most commonly used on the customer-facing side because they operate quietly and much faster than traditional printers. Every receipt printer is a thermal printer, meaning it doesn't use ink to print. Instead, it creates characters and images by heating thermally sensitive paper.

Impact Printer

The impact or ink printer is the most common kind in the back of the restaurant. If your staff is busy, they may not notice a new slip in the printer. However, impact printers and their loud printing process catch the attention of cooks and chefs easily, so they can process each order as soon as the order arrives.

Revel Systems Technology in Restaurants

Restaurants all over the globe are adopting technology as a crucial part of their business. From barcode scanners to self-ordering kiosks, the restaurant industry gives its best to keep up with growing trends. At Revel, we provide a complete restaurant information system with high-end technology solutions. Contact us to learn more about our packages including enterprise POS platforms!