Must-Have Tools To Streamline Your Restaurant Operations

Restaurant owners are trying to run their businesses successfully in these unprecedented times. They are engaging in technology-driven methodologies to ensure they give the customers the best experience. 

The restaurant has various levels and requires utmost coordination for delivering outstanding results. In this, the kitchen staff to delivery personnel have to maintain coordination.

Handling a restaurant business is a complex process and you may feel overwhelmed with many responsibilities. To streamline your business, indulge in automating your restaurant operations that results in quick and easy access to all domains. 

The customer demands have changed over the last decade, and the restaurant industry is trying to cope with constant demand. The restaurant owners are using various tools for restaurant operations. These tools help reduce human errors and can save a lot of time. Also, with better technology usage, the restaurant operations can increase productivity and satisfy their customers.

Listed below are some of the automated tools for restaurant operations:

1. Restaurant POS system:

In a technology-driven world, restaurants are not left far behind. To overcome all the shortcomings, many restaurants have started adopting the POS system.

The POS system (point of sale system) is a computerized system that helps restaurant owners to check customer requests, track sales orders, maintain food inventory, and generate real-time reports. It can help ease out the major functionalities and can be handled from one place. The old school practices can make your work slow and hence may lead to a decline in business.

A POS system that is well established can turn a busy restaurant into a stress-free environment wherein all restaurant staff are aware of their charter of duties and can follow it up on time.

The advent of technology has made cloud-based POS (point of sale) systems the most sorted ones. This helps you store data in the cloud and thus can be accessed from anywhere.

You may consider these features of POS for better management of your restaurant.

a. Real-time Reports: 

Reports are always painful to pull and are a painstaking effort. But not anymore, as a POS can give you reports at any time of the day. This helps you analyze your sales and revenue. The reports can also let you regulate your sales if you see a dip in your orders. You can instantly create freebies and promotions to attract your customers.

b. Update Menu:

 The menu is the heart of any restaurant, and diners come to you for their favorite pick. In case you plan to keep editing your menu based on seasons, festivities, and promotions, then a POS can make things easier for you. 

c. Payment Processing: 

Digital payments have taken over cash payments as it’s much easier and convenient. The cloud-based POS system helps the customer to make payments using their mobile devices.

With a cloud-based POS system, payments can be made using mobile devices. This saves a lot of time and offers comfort to both servers and guests.

d. Quick Orders and Payments:

  Online ordering helps customers place orders easily. Once an order is placed, based on the delivery options, the customer can also decide to do advance payment or payment on receipt of the item. This flexibility helps customers to enjoy your service and continue ordering with your restaurant.

The orders go straight to the kitchen as the kitchen staff can view orders with the help of printers and/or displays in the kitchen and are processed on time. 

2. Inventory Management System:

Keeping a check on your ingredient list is a major task and can cost your business if your inventory runs out of stock. Inventory management systems can come to your rescue and be of value to your restaurant. It helps keep your inventory updated in real-time and also gives information at the start and end of the day.

The best way to keep your inventory in check is by linking it to the restaurant ordering system software. This can track the ingredients you are running low on and alert the kitchen staff to manage the reserve. By following this technique, you can also overcome and cut down the wastage of food. 

3. Restaurant Online Ordering System:

The pandemic has made online delivery the most preferred. All restaurants have ensured they have their delivery system or rely on third-party vendors such as Ubereats, OrderEm, etc.

The flexibility to choose the delivery time, place, and also track the orders in real-time makes it the best option to order food. The miscommunication between the delivery and the kitchen can be minimized by incorporating a good Restaurant Online Ordering System.

When the customers place orders online using their details, you can store the profiles. Keeping this basic information can help you build the customer base and use them in future promotions.

4. Integration with Other Software:

As a technology-driven restaurant, you must learn to manage the numerous software and systems associated with it. It is not as complicated as it may seem; streamline your restaurant processes by integrating your restaurant management system, accounting software, kitchen management, and online ordering platforms, along with the POS system. This will help you streamline your process and would be easy to keep a check on different aspects of management.

5. Mobile Loyalty App:

The times are changing, and hence the plastic loyalty cards have been replaced by the mobile loyalty app. Get your POS system integrated with a mobile loyalty app to keep a tab on your customers' behavior and preferences. 

You can give away vouchers and coupons through a paperless transaction and keep a check on redemption progress. This also helps in reducing the carbon imprint.

6. Kitchen Preparedness:

Once you have ensured that your front end is well managed, you can start working on your kitchen. Food is the prime aspect of any restaurant, and having an organized kitchen can make it durable and worthy.

Automating the kitchen process can help you keep a check on the time taken to prepare a dish, the inventory, the menu, handling of kitchen waste, and cleaning and hygiene. All this can be tracked and monitored with comfort when your systems are installed. This emphasizes the importance of having operations at the back-end on the mark.

• A Kitchen Display System is an integral part of the restaurant’s kitchen operations. The KDS helps you manage the time it takes to prepare the dish. This will help in deciding the overall time taken for the dish from order to delivery. Also, the scope of error reduces on the part of the kitchen staff.

Bottom Line

Every restaurant owner in pursuit of making their restaurant productive and manageable should weigh all the tools available in the market. Think wisely and start streamlining your operations to manage your restaurant business successfully. 

With the apps and automated tools for restaurant operations, streamlining becomes a lot easier. They will not only help you to establish your business but will also help you increase the efficiency and quality of your services.