A restaurant is no longer just about food and experience. In today's fast-paced digital world the requirements that a good Food & Beverage should meet is the ability to engage, empower and delight customers across every channel. Winning restaurants are the ones that adopt and integrate restaurant technologies into their businesses.

As consumers, we want the ability to order food online with a single tap on a device and receive items faster. This prompts online restaurants to offer more options and redefine the way they handle their last-mile delivery.

For restaurants to evolve they must understand the fact that the next generation customer is critical. They must leverage digital technologies to reach the right audience at the right time.

So where do you start? How do you enhance the guest experience without biting off more than you can chew? Here's a look at some of the recent innovations that will help you break new ground.

Mobile Ordering

“A little more than a quarter — or 28 percent — of  global consumers have paid for food or drink via a mobile app”

If you are not using mobile apps for online ordering you are missing out on a major chunk of customers.  With more consumers seeking choices in how to order their food, it is no wonder that more and more restaurants are planning to add mobile technology to manage their orders. From QSRs to fast food chains and fine dining restaurants are already seeing benefits in productivity and profitability from digital ordering.

Self-order kiosks

In the last couple of years, we have seen a steady growth in the demand for self-order kiosks in the fast food industry. Tablet enclosures and restaurant kiosks not only help make the "order and pay" process faster but also boost the growth and productivity of a business. Migrating the customer base in a digital direction drastically reduces the potential for long wait times. Food kiosks also encourage up-selling and cross-selling by providing constant pop-ups with stunning visuals that result in a 30% increase in average bill value.

Facebook Ordering

Yes, that's true. Now your customers can order food from Facebook itself. Facebook is already used by people to explore their options for food and restaurants nearby so the ability to order directly from the FB app or website seems like a logical next step. The Taco Spot in Charleston, South Carolina increased its revenue by 10% after implementing Facebook-based ordering, as reported by the Fast Casual magazine.

Technology to empower your restaurant business

Restaurant technologies, when implemented in the right way, gather data about customers, turn that data into insights that you can use to make high-touch changes to make your guests feel engaged, understood and wanted.

"The question isn’t what technology can do for a restaurant operation: it’s what a restaurant operation can do with technology."

Transparency and visibility

There is an ever-growing demand for order transparency in food and beverage industry. It not only differentiates you from the competitions but also opens the gate to endless opportunities that allow you to control the entire supply chain process. With growing competition and technological advancements, direct communication is key to customer retention. With features like real-time tracking, push notifications, and alerts, customers and delivery partners are able to get an overview of the whole process that in turn strengthens the relationship with both the parties.

Customer Satisfaction

Building relationships and honesty gives the restaurant a competitive edge. By delivering an engaging and empowered service where the customer is in complete control of the order, you'll not only achieve better customer experience but also improve your brand perception. The need for clear marketing messages is now an absolute necessity. Growing number of people in favor of online ordering has been at the very center of surging demand for "Order Food" feature. Better customer experiences will often translate into improved customer retention resulting in repeat business.

Better Insights

Information is powerful. Restaurants can empower managers by providing them access to customer insights. The most vital step in addressing the needs of customers is to collect the right feedback online and analyze the data aiming for a profitable conclusion. An efficient business understands the challenges of internal and external processes, take a broad view and prioritizes the actions available to drive the best solution. Turning insights into actions will ensure that your existing customers remain loyal to your business, and your prospects feel tempted to become your customers.

Build a competitive brand

Branding is very important.  It is how you differentiate yourself in the market.  Through innovative restaurant technologies, you can make your restaurant stand out by channelizing a holistic experience. As a business, you will want to have fully customized branding to truly deliver a full brand experience. Furthermore, by showing loyalty to customers and providing end-to-end transparency, you can enhance the professional image of your company whilst allowing your team to work smarter by using the latest software available online.

Put the technology to test

With all these benefits, it’s no surprise that the demand for restaurant technologies is growing. The efficiency benefits of adopting restaurant technology far outweigh the set-up costs and technological challenges. Furthermore, online ordering represents an immense opportunity for restaurants to penetrate a space where new generation spends hours every day: their mobile devices. This new-generation customer is tech-savvy and has high expectations. Restaurants that understand the significance of investing in new technologies and analytics, can build sales, drive increased customer conversion, and deepen customer loyalty.

How do you plan to appeal to this ever-evolving tech-savvy customer?

Looking for more information on how to get started? Our customer intelligence labs help restaurants of all sizes rapidly innovate, prioritize, and focus on what is most important for their growth and productivity.