Restaurant technology: how innovation helps streamline business processes

The modern restaurant business is going through a period of dramatic changes, largely accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of severe restrictions and falling attendance, many establishments were forced to develop technology in order to maintain their activities.

The current position of digitalization of the restaurant business

Now technology has become an integral part of the restaurant industry, this has been influenced by changed consumer behavior, the need to cut costs and growing competition. Restaurant guests appreciate speed, convenience and personalization, making digitalization a tool for stabilization and growth.

The most popular solutions today are:

Online ordering and delivery.
Kitchen automation.
Electronic menus and self-service systems.
CRM systems through which restaurants collect data on their customers, creating personalized offers and increasing loyalty.
Creative use of technology.

Technology case studies and results

The Russian Teremok network has implemented production planning and quality control systems. One of the technologies is a program that manages the sequence of cooking. For example, it sets the exact heat treatment time for each ingredient, which minimizes the risk of human error and provides standardized quality.

Another important technology is a system for tracking remains and expiration dates of products. It is integrated with cash registers and allows to monitor stocks in real time, preventing overruns or shortages of ingredients.

Interestingly, Teremok is actively testing the feedback system: the client leaves feedback about the dish, for example, that it was too salty, this information is used to analyze the processes of preparing and setting standards.

On the international stage, Japan is an example of maximum progress, with technology deployed at almost every stage of the restaurant business, from robot waiters to fully automated kitchens. For example, the Kura Sushi sushi restaurant chain has implemented a fully automated food delivery and order management system. Each place is equipped with an individual tablet, where customers choose dishes, which are then delivered to their table using a conveyor belt or robotic cart.

An interesting innovation was the use of a freshness tracking system. Each plate of sushi has a small RFID chip that records the time the dish is on the conveyor. If the plate is left without an order for more than 30 minutes, it is automatically removed from circulation, which guarantees the freshness of the supplied products.

This automation has reduced personnel costs, reduced waste by 50% and significantly accelerated the customer service process, thereby attracting both local residents and tourists.

Big data analytics is actively developing in the US, for example: restaurant chain Panera Bread has implemented an analytics platform that collects and processes huge amounts of data on customer behavior, including their preferences, frequency of visits, typical orders and reaction to promotions.

This data is used to personalize the menu, for example: regular customers are offered special recommendations and customized discounts through the application based on their previous orders. In addition, analytics helps optimize inventory management, the system predicts the demand for certain dishes depending on the time of day, day of the week, season and even weather.

The result was a 30% reduction in food waste and an increase in the average bill due to more accurate recommendations. The company also achieved an increase in customer loyalty, more than 50% of visitors actively use the loyalty program, which is integrated with the analytical platform.

In Russia, despite significant achievements, the level of automation is still lower than in leading countries. However, the pace of implementation is growing, and in a few years Russia can narrow this gap.

Cases of fine dining restaurants are also known, where technology is used for a creative approach. For example, the Moscow restaurant White Rabbit introduced augmented reality to create interactive dinners and became an example in using augmented reality (AR) technologies to create a unique gastronomic experience. One of the striking projects was the holding of interactive dinners, where each stage of serving the dish is accompanied by a visual show displayed on the table through a projection using special equipment and software.

Impact on business economics

Technology also plays a role in the development of the restaurant business, creating healthy competition and promoting economic growth. This allows the business not to stand still, but to develop actively, ensuring stability, competitiveness, and an advantage for the client. In a dynamic market, this approach allows businesses not to lose, but rather to increase their profits by optimizing processes and reducing costs, including inventory management and personnel.

Despite the obvious advantages, the introduction of technologies is associated with certain risks and difficulties. For small businesses, these are the high upfront costs of integrating new systems. In addition, staff training requires time and resources as employees must adapt to new tools and technologies. Among other things, technical glitches such as hardware breakdowns or software failures can occur during the transition process, which can affect the quality of service and cause inconvenience to customers. However, most companies that have gone through the digitalization stage confirm that the long-term benefits significantly exceed the initial difficulties and lead to higher profits.

Forecasts for the future

In the coming years, the role of technology in the restaurant business will just grow and refine the projects that have begun. AI-based programs will be used to predict demand, optimize purchases and increase marketing efficiency, continue to use robotic waiters, food delivery drones from restaurants, virtual reality will create a unique experience for guests, including virtual menu tours and interactive dinners, big data with in-depth analytics will become the basis for management decision making, helping restaurants be flexible and adaptive.

If you look more than 20 years ahead, you can expect much more significant changes. AI can reach a level where it will not only predict demand, but also make cooking decisions by automating the process in the kitchen. Robot waiters will become standard and restaurants will be fully automated without human input.

Perhaps our wristwatch will become not only an accessory, but also an important tool for maintaining health. They will be equipped with sensors that will be able to analyze the state of the body and determine what minerals and vitamins we need for normal functioning during the day. The watch will calculate exactly how many grams of fat, protein, carbohydrates and fiber a person needs to feel good. Based on this data, restaurants equipped with smart systems will be able to select and prepare automatically the perfect menu that matches each individual request. As a result, you won’t need to order food manually – everything will be pre-configured and the drone will deliver the order exactly at the right time and place, providing personalized meals for each customer. It will be a completely new level of interaction with technology, where food and health will merge in a single process, saving our only irreplaceable resource – time.