How Technology is playing an Important Part in Restaurant Business
How Technology is playing an Important Part in Restaurant Business

Technology has become very integral part of our lives – but with the emergence of mobile devices and cloud computing is making more of an impact than ever. These advances have made an impact everywhere, and one of the places we’re seeing more and more technology is in the food and restaurant industry. Between the arrivals of mobile devices on the table, online reservations, social media, and new payment methods, technology has infiltrated the food and restaurant industry like never before. Consumers are now wanting to see the new technology they use integrated into their dining experience. Thus, we are not wrong if we say that the next frontier for social media and smartphones may well be the restaurant table.

“I think India is at par with global markets as far as technology is concerned and it is evolving every day. The technology needs to go hand-in-hand with the mentality of the consumer and the evolution of the restaurant operators. As far as the way the operations are done currently and the understanding of consumer on technology is concerned, I think India is at par,” says Karan Tanna, CEO, Yellow Tie Hospitality.

Being the franchise model company, technology has played a crucial role in shaping up Yellow Tie Hospitality’s business. The company has developed their in-house technology to be in close interaction with their franchisees. “Our franchisees can order raw material, do their profit & loss, refer the recipe card SOP and raise an issue with us if required. This helps in a very transparent approach and swift communication with franchise for their problem solving,” Tanna adds.

Talking about some of the recent trends in technology up gradation, we can now see variety of iPad mounts invading the kitchens and dining areas of restaurants. Besides replacing menus, tablets have also the potential to help hosts deal with incoming patrons who may have reservations.

“Recently we came across the concept of cloud POS. Earlier it was a hectic job to manage the revenue and track the flow when you have multiple properties all across the world. Now we can track the same on our phones any time with a single touch. All on the same page with live status of the revenue generation. This gives us the time and helps us to manage the resources at its best. The changes of errors and error rates decreases by 90 percent,” said Deepak Bhatia, Vice President - Punjab Grill, Lite Bite Foods.

Some of the advances will serve to improve the experience — both for the industry and for the patron. Yet with every new advance comes a new challenge, and with technology moving faster these challenges can seem insurmountable. Gaurav Shetty, Managing Director , Banjara restaurant, Goldfinch feels that there is still a long way to go asto improve client retention and diner frequency with more app base loyalty programme.It’s how the industry deals with these advances — and the challenges that accompany them — that will determine the fate of many restaurants, regardless of what’s on the menu.

“India is probably one of the leaders when it comes to adapting technology for use in FNB. Obviously, we have the giants Zomato and the Swiggy, but there no dearth of startups coming up with innovative products customised to the needs to the needs of restaurant owners,” KabirJeet Singh, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Burger Singh comments.

Mobile devices also come into play in a variety of ways, and what happens with them while in the customer’s hands both inside and outside the walls of a restaurant can have a huge impact on an establishment’s success.With a better understanding of the technology, the industry has better chance of thriving. And in tough times, those restaurants who are on the right side of the equation have a better chance of surviving.

 
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