According to the Nation’s Restaurant News, beets and kale are out, while cauliflower and cabbage are in. We’ll apparently also see more scrambled eggs and tacos — but not necessarily together. And as liquid nitrogen continues to take hold in bars and restaurants from LA to Boston, house-made artisanal ice creams and molecular mixology will also become more common. But this year’s biggest restaurant industry trend isn’t something you eat. It’s technology. And lots of it.
While last year was all about vying for spending power of Millennials, this year will see concerns rise for nabbing the attention of the upcoming highly-connected, über tech savvy Generation Z. From GPS-driven advertising to digital menus, here’s a look at a few of the top technology trends that will be influencing the way restaurants do business and woo customers in 2015.
The Maturation and Personalization of Location-Based Marketing
According to Venture Beat News, to keep potential customers from tuning out their marketing message, restaurants will need to “start anticipating a person’s intent and tapping into weather, news and events, traffic and transit, and other third-party data streams to drive true relevance.”
More and more geo-targeted marketing opportunities will become available and industry veterans predict an increase in hyper-local offers, a practice known as geofencing where targeted messages are delivered as close as within 60 feet using in-store beacons. The key to success being the delivery of the right message at the right place and at the right time so that you can fully take advantage of location-based social networks like Foursquare and Facebook Places.
Consumers expect marketing messages to be personalized and anticipate their needs. Do this well enough and you’ll not only get their attention, you will be able to shape their perceptions and motivate their actions. But with so many businesses including chains like Outback Steakhouse jumping on the geofencing bandwagon, restaurants will need to step it up this year in order to attract customer interest and gain their loyalty.
Digital Signage
From high-tech replacements for printed menus to more efficient ordering and kitchen display system alternatives, 2015 promises to introduce even more digital signage into restaurants both large and small. Improved technology and program interfaces coupled with lowering costs are making digital signage an obvious choice for the quick-serve and fast casual industry in particular.
By adding the latest in digital signage, restaurant managers can create a more seamless dining experience for customers that have grown increasingly accustomed to having more choices and more say so over how they choose. Customers expect to able to take advantage of last minute promotions, order online, or quickly navigate their dining options whether it’s a list of today’s specials on a smartphone app or a tablet-based wine-list.
Digital signage can quickly be updated to display positive reviews, social media images and commentary, videos, special offers, and to easily switch between lunch and dinner menus. By keeping your customers engaged, you keep them happy, which in turn keeps them coming back. This technology also marries nicely with location-based marketing when using NFC (near-field communication)-compatible digital signage to provide special offers to those who happen to be passing by.
A lot of press is given to marketing and the customer’s ability to interact, but the back end of the house is also seeing a lot of big changes. Instead of spending hours on organizing schedules, placing food orders, and taking inventory, restaurant managers are starting to use tech tools to streamline the operational management of their commercial. And in the kitchen, paper tickets are being replaced with digital screens that help ensure the accuracy and quality of every order.
Mobile Payment Systems
Everywhere you look, restaurant technology is becoming faster, more powerful, more flexible and more affordable. The foodservice industry is evolving faster than ever as technology makes it easier to fill empty tables during a downtime, serve diners more quickly, and tap into the growing social network of younger generations.
Mobile payment systems will also be seeing some changes with new platforms like Wocket and Citi Wallet being introduced to compete with industry giants Google Wallet, Apple Pay and PayPal. In addition to prepaying, diners will be offered the ability to check out tableside using tablets or their smartphone.
Technology is just one of many tools available to restaurant owners and commercial kitchen managers but it’s becoming an increasingly important and expected part of the dining experience. From everyday operations to mobile apps and games designed to attract and entertain customers, there’s no denying that technology is changing the way restaurants do business.
As you navigate the maze of new technology, you can rely on HoodFilters.com to keep you and your kitchen on track with the best deals on exhaust hood systems, hood filters, energy saving LED lighting, and grease containment systems.