This is probably one of the questions I get asked the most by businesses considering a new restaurant system – and the answer is always simple.
Yes – you can.
Restaurants are notoriously hard businesses to control, particularly those in multiple locations, because of their complexity and the fluctuating nature of their business.
We’ve seen some high-profile struggles recently including Jamie Oliver, Prezzo and Byron, and it’s no surprise when costs are escalating, labour is getting hard to come by and the customer pound is being squeezed.
So how does a restaurant system help you boost your restaurant growth while scaling back costs at the same time?
The answer is two-fold – the system provides you with a perfect end-to-end view of your business through comprehensive reporting – and gives your staff the technology they require to create an excellent guest experience.
With real-time data at your fingertips any time, thanks to online access, you can keep track of what’s selling and what’s not – and even see forecasts. This helps you improve stock control immensely, reducing food waste and enabling your kitchen to provide menus that will hit the mark.
Reporting also helps with labour control by giving you a deep knowledge of your busiest and quietest times, so you always have the right number of staff on at the right time.
This is particularly helpful in the current climate, where Brexit is making filling staff roles a real issue.
With the right restaurant system in place, the staff you do have are happier because their job is easier thanks to tableside ordering and payments via hand-held devices ranging from tablets to smartphones – less running back and forth to the kitchen.
Their device will also give them upselling prompts as the order is placed, providing opportunities to boost revenue at every table.
Diners are happier too, because their food is delivered quickly and accurately, and there’s no hanging about waiting for the bill (good restaurant systems can even split complicated bills with ease).
And afterwards, the information your system has captured means you can bring those happy guests back again with offers you know will appeal to them.
You can use their feedback to improve your website, and if anyone posts an adverse review online while dining, your managers are alerted so they can put the problem right straight away.
One of the best aspects of restaurant management systems like ours is that they are now available as a rental option, which means restaurants do not have to make a major capital investment and can achieve almost instant ROI.
One of our customers, the growing brand CAU, explains how it worked for them.
Estates and Property manager Colin Williams says: “We like the efficiency of it in streamlining our business – it’s definitely saving us money in terms of time, efficiency and capturing data so we can identify trends.
“We also appreciate the way it helps you cut down on fraud – staff who might be tempted know they can’t get away with anything. “It’s amazing for stock control – one of our biggest challenges – and it integrates well with our other platforms.”
We’re glad to hear it. So if you don’t already have this kind of technology, now’s the time to give your business the restaurant system it needs to stay ahead.
Like I said before, the answer is always simple…
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