The inclusion of technology in restaurants has certainly added comfort and convenience for both involved parties – the restaurant owner and the customer.
The digital shift has made life even more fast-paced than we had imagined. The restaurant business too has been boosted in more ways than one, which is evident from the stories of the big giants such as Domino’s Pizza, KFC, etc.
According to a case study, Patrick Doyle, the CEO of Domino’s had described, this fastest-growing fast food chain as a ‘technology company delivering pizzas’. Even when its rivals such as Pizza Hut had taken a step back during the Covid situation in 2020, Domino’s continued to deliver the yummiest pizzas to its loyal customers in many places. The sole reason behind this was ‘technology’ and its inclusion into their operations that made such daring acts possible. Let us see some of the areas where Domino’s has grown as a fast food chain in the recent past because of the way they incorporated technology in their brand and things that you can learn from too.
Packaging
It was back in 1998 when Domino’s Pizza became the first to integrate technological aspects in delivering the best quality pizzas. They started with the hot bag that they had specially designed to help keep the pizza warm till the time it was delivered. These bags initially had an electrical heating system which then moved on to an induction heating system. Carrying forward with technological advancements Domino’s now uses bags that have a top-class insulated heat system that keeps the pizzas warm for a longer time.
Online Ordering
Understanding the benefits of including technology in restaurants they moved much ahead of their competitors and became the torchbearers of an online ordering system in 2007. Based on researched data, currently, 75% of Domino’s sales are driven through online orders.
Considering the kind of revenue generated by such orders, Gleeca, the free restaurant management system, ensures that it provides its clients with the same feature that will boost their sales hugely. Gleeca gives restaurant owners the freedom from paying recurring subscriptions. Instead, it ensures recurring sales and visible inflation in the revenue of the restaurant. This is complete restaurant solutions software that can be accessed from all device types and does not need any formal training for using it. Gleeca aims at empowering businesses from every angle. If you are a restaurateur, bringing Gleeca to your restaurant will not only add ease to your customers but also to your staff, who are equally important for you in running your restaurant successfully.
Online ordering pleases your customers as well. Why? Because –
Taking table reservations online has become a very common practice for restaurants and a preferred choice for customers. The ease of booking a table without having to wait is a satisfying thing for customers. All this can be easily done by including a modern POS system in your restaurant operations. The restaurant informs the approximate time the customer has to be at the restaurant which dismisses the hold-up time and its consequent discomfort for customers.
Delivery
With the growing popularity of online ordering, it is only obvious that the restaurant owner has to make arrangements so that the food reaches the customer on time and in proper condition. That is how the delivery systems came into the inclusion of technology in restaurants. The delivery apps came in handy to help with reaching food and have taken the concept of delivery of online orders to unimaginable heights. According to estimates this market of delivery will reach a massive $223.7 billion, globally by 2027. But you do not have to necessarily invest in third-party apps to deliver food; as Gleeca suggests, you should use your delivery system and ensure cost cutting.
To satisfy excellent customer service and satisfying their want of getting a pizza in record time, Domino’s tied up with electric bike companies and ensured that all its delivery boys make use of them to deliver pizza in the shortest time possible. Alongside they mandated the use of GPS for less confusion and faster delivery.
Digital Payments
The Covid situation made developers come up with ways and means in which physical contact could be minimized; that is when contactless payment systems came to the scene. The presence of these digital payment modes increases the speed as well as removes a lot of unnecessary problems related to payments. Gleeca gives you the fastest POS for digital payments, taking your restaurant ahead of your competitors, free of cost. With online ordering, online payments have also become a part of daily transactions.
Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT)
As online transactions increase in restaurants, the kitchens of such restaurants also go need to be upgraded. The Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT) is a very helpful tool in this regard. The POS and the kitchen printer are linked with the KOT. As soon as an order is confirmed at the POS a ticket is generated and printed from the kitchen printer, indicating to the cooking staff the dishes need to be made immediately. This technology in restaurants has worked wonders and increased speed, and efficiency while drastically reducing confusion in the kitchen. The restaurants may also use the Kitchen Display System (KDS) which requires a screen in the kitchen to show all the orders to the kitchen staff for easier operations.
QR Codes
Technological innovation has become the core strength of Dominos, they have and are continuously devising ways that can help increase their efficiency and speed. According to them, their customers are the happiest when they receive their orders quickly but with the taste intact. This applies to both online and offline scenarios. Thus, the use of QR codes in payments and menu selection can help greatly in the cause. You should certainly include this in your restaurant operations to simplify your operations. Customers do not need to waste their time waiting for the bill or the menu card and someone to help them with that. All they need to do is scan the QR codes present on their tables and do the needful. Those ordering online can also avail of the QR codes that are present on the website for the menu selection.
Chatbots
Domino’s has reportedly gone ahead of all fast food chains and launched their chatbots arrangement in 2017 on Facebook messenger. This has given them a huge boost and driven unimaginable traffic to their site, setting a great example of the use of technology in restaurants. These chatbots engage the customer and answer their queries on menus and prices easily. They have also taken it a notch higher and enabled ordering through Alexa as well as Google Assistant. Dominos deployed a similar technology is gaining the feedback of customers. This is done post-delivery, where a customer receives a message with an activated personalized chatbot. The customers respond to a few simple questions on quality and service. The happy customers are sent a thank you coupon for their next purchase while the restaurant management acts proactively to eliminate the complaint and make a whole new pizza. They ensure that they convey this message of rectification to the customers. This has resulted in around a 53% retention rate for Dominos!
The latest technological addition brought about by this tech-powered pizza hub is the inclusion of a predictive ordering system. By virtue of this, the staff will be able to get an idea of what could be a probable next order. This will help them to keep the orders ready before putting them in the oven. Your pizza business is sure to go to the next level with the inclusion of such innovation.
The achievement of Dominos in the inclusion of technology in restaurants is remarkable and something every restaurateur should aim for. It may not be possible to get such high-investment technology into your restaurant kitchen right now. Yet it is always good to know the scope and possibility of how these can scale your business.
If you are looking to include technological advancements in your restaurant free of cost, then Gleeca is your one-stop shop. Sign up with Gleeca and enjoy high rates of customer retention and recurring sales at zero investment.
Visit: www.gleeca.in
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