Hire Restaurant Software Developers in Basingstoke. 

As restaurants remain vulnerable to imposed restrictions, strict sanitary regulations and even closure, online food orders and contactless home-deliveries have come to the rescue. And this service is here to stay as diners grow accustomed to getting the food they want when, where and how they want it. The food delivery market is now worth more than $150 billion globally, which has more than tripled since 2017 largely attributed to the pandemic, according to statistics from McKinsey.

Third-party food delivery apps like UberEats, Foodpanda, or DoorDash will continue to be an important solution for those not able to offer in-house ordering and delivery services. But as many diners report a preference for ordering directly from restaurants, we can expect to see restaurants following the lead of larger fast-food chains and investing in developing their own integrated online platforms and apps. Despite the ‘distance’, this digital proximity enables the restaurant industry to stay closely connected with their customers.

Contactless technology is going mainstream, and it’s not just about placing an order online, but also about paying with a smartphone, smartwatch or smartcard via an app or touchless device. New payment technologies have been slowly gaining momentum within the global restaurant industry, but this trend has accelerated with the pandemic. It’s estimated that contactless payments will triple from $2 trillion to $6 trillion worldwide by 2024, and having such options are reportedly extremely important for 34% of customers. With no cash hand, no human contact is required – more hygienic and safer – and it’s quick, instant and convenient. From a cash flow point of view, it’s also more efficient. If restaurants don’t want to be left behind in the coming year, those who haven’t yet done so better invest and plan for a mobile and digital payment strategy.

Booking a table via a phone call is becoming a thing of the past as online table reservation technology takes on a new importance. Providers like Eat App, Table In or OpenTable give customers the freedom to see available slots and make their own booking on-the-go. In turn, by using technology-enabled reservation systems, restaurants can manage seating, waitlists, customer loyalty and dining preferences as well as collect vital client data be it for contact tracing or market insights.

The concept has even been taken a step further. Via its initiative Experiences, OpenTable is offering restaurants the opportunity to propose unique culinary events and dining experiences, beyond standard reservations. Whether it’s Ramen Nights in celebrity chef Hugh Acheson’s dining room, a ‘side-dish’ of line dancing lessons or a fixed-price tasting menu, guests can book their next special dining experience easily, directly and according to what tickles their taste buds. Time to get creative!

No need to grab paper and pen, worry about smudged printed tickets or run back-and-forth between the kitchen and front-of-house anymore. Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) are a digital menu board for kitchen staff helping restaurants streamline back-of-house operations. Directly linked to the restaurant’s point-of-sale (POS) system, the screen displays orders automatically according to priority and flagging any special dietary requests. Tracking meal delivery times and monitoring inventory to signal when a product is out of stock, this technological solution ultimately ensures better communication, accuracy, clearer workflows and – being 100% digital – promises a more sustainable kitchen operation.

Automating your inventory management means tracking food and beverage stocks, anticipating quantities and even scheduling reorders no longer need to be time-consuming tedious tasks. Very importantly, the implementation of such software in your working process can also reduce food wastage, which is reportedly costing the hospitality industry $100 billion annually. Through cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology, companies like Winnow are helping restaurant owners and managers cut food waste and costs and run their businesses more efficiently and sustainably. Partnerships with innovative platforms like Too Good to Go also save restaurants from wasting their food surplus, instead making it available to users looking for a meal-deal. Saving time and money all while helping the planet – sounds like a no-brainer with sustainability being at the forefront of the global agenda.