Covid-19 impact on restaurant technology

In the fast-paced and competitive world of the restaurant industry, restaurant operators need to ensure that their operations are as efficient and customer-friendly as possible. Therefore, it is imperative that the latest restaurant technology trends are adopted by the industry. Some of the latest restaurant technology trends include:

• Handheld ordering devices
• Kitchen management tools
• Self-order kiosks
• Digital menus
• Order and pay at the table (point of sale systems)

Why is it important for the restaurant industry to integrate restaurant technology?

As restaurant technology trends continue to develop, customers become more demanding which increases their expectations of delivering excellent service. Consumers now expect a quicker, more efficient and more automated service from restaurants. Integrating the latest restaurant technology trends significantly improves a restaurant’s ability to deliver the excellent service expected from customers. Therefore, restaurants that fail to integrate technology into their business may struggle to operate as efficiently and profitably as their rivals in the restaurant industry. Implementing technology into your restaurant can help improve the efficiency of delivery, accounting, stock management, marketing, payments, business analytics and point-of-sale systems which could help give you a competitive advantage over your rivals. There are many technology providers out there for restaurants to work with.

Covid-19 stimulates change

The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly stimulated change in the hospitality sector as a whole. The largest strategic shift that we have seen in the restaurant industry is the integration of offering takeaway and delivery services as well as ordering and paying via your mobile device at your table.

Delivery

During the pandemic, offering delivery was a lifeline to many restaurants that were forced to close for a substantial amount of time. This is a highly competitive market and can be a logistical challenge to set up. Some restaurants have made the decision to continue with their delivery service even when they were allowed to open up their restaurant. This is because many restaurants had to invest a significant amount in technology to set up a delivery service. In addition, continuing with a delivery service provides restaurants with the opportunity for further revenue and profit streams.

Order and pay at the table

The restaurant industry has bounced back from the pandemic to a certain degree. However, tough economic conditions are having an effect on productivity and profitability with rising inflation and staff shortages being the main issues. Implementing the latest restaurant technology could alleviate some of these issues to an extent. For example, when restaurants were finally allowed to reopen again, many restaurants decided to implement ordering and paying at the table via an app to reduce contact between servers and diners. Most restaurants that implemented this technology have decided to continue with this as it will help reduce the need for front-of-house staff and will improve profitability.

Conclusion

To conclude, the pandemic has had a significant effect on the restaurant experience consumers now expect. We have found that the importance of implementing technology in restaurants is extremely important in helping deliver a quicker, more efficient and more automated service. During the pandemic, many restaurants started to introduce a delivery service and order-at-table service which consumers now expect when they go to a restaurant.

How can we help?

Hawsons has a dedicated team of specialist leisure and hospitality accountants in Sheffield, Doncaster and Northampton.

As the sector continues to become ever more challenging, with changes in fierce global, nation and regional competition leading to unrelenting pressures to maintain margins, it is more crucial than ever to seek sound and proactive advice.

At Hawsons our dedicated team of specialist hotel, pub and restaurant accountants offer professionals advice and guidance that is tailored to their individual needs and requirements, providing a full range of proactive services.