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As we step into 2025, the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industries are experiencing transformative shifts driven by evolving consumer preferences, technological innovation, and economic dynamics. From reimagining workflows to enhancing guest interactions, technology is shaping how restaurants, bars, and hospitality businesses operate.
Quick-service restaurants maintain a steady customer satisfaction score of 79 (on a 100 point scale), while full-service restaurants — despite slipping 2 percent to 82 — remain one of the highest-rated industries in the Index, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2025.
As restaurant brands grow, there is an increasing realization that loyalty and guest experience cannot live in isolated departments anymore. From loyalty retention to order accuracy to app reviews, cross-functional collaboration is what transforms guest expectations into business outcomes.
Music done well in restaurants makes all the difference in how long guests will stay, whether they have a good experience and most importantly, how much money they will spend. When someone goes to a nightclub or live music night at a bar, the expectation is that it will be loud and they may have to shout to be heard.
Too often, what customers found was a clunky experience marked by poor scanning results, slow click-throughs and the need to download third-party apps just to engage with the expected content. McDonald's started incorporating QR codes across their mobile apps and throughout their brand loyaltyprograms. Not at all.
” to reflect their marketing philosophy and experience in both sectors. Why did you want to open a marketing firm with a bar/restaurant/hospitality niche and what is the significance of the name Embark? But with my extensive experience in restaurants, I didn’t want to limit myself. And I love that. And I love that.
The uniforms worn by staff, from kitchen to counter, represent your brand in every customer interaction, making apparel a strategic business decision rather than merely an operational requirement. By representing your brand, customers are helping create visibility that goes far beyond your storefront.
Your customer email list is your most valuable marketing asset, giving you an incredible ROI of $42 for every $1 you spend. You own it, it costs very little to maintain, and its a direct link to your customers any time youd like to reach themno complicated algorithms or third-party platforms getting in the way.
When business slows down, its easy to blame the season, the weather, or people not going out like they used to, but sometimes all customers need is a good reminder or the right reason to show up again. Encouraging repeat visits from loyal customers? Or bring in a wave of new customers who havent tried your place yet?
In this guide, youll learn how to use ChowNow tools along with a handful of other effective strategies to increase order volume, boost your current customer traffic, and grow your overall sales. Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to stay top-of-mind with customers and remind them its time to order again from your restaurant.
It is atop the list for restaurants looking to modernize, differentiate, and elevate experiences. The question now becomes – how to make sense of that data and use it to elevate the dining experience. consumers now use digital wallets as they seek a convenient, contactless payment experience. Data, Data, Data.
Building an integrated tech stack is essential for independent restaurants that want to streamline operations and improve customer service. LoyaltyPrograms and Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Integrating CRM and loyaltyprograms into the POS system allows restaurants to collect valuable customer data.
From sizzling dishes to a vibrant dining atmosphere, video content allows potential customers to experience the restaurants ambiance and imagine the sounds and aromas before the even set foot inside. Think slow-motion sauce pouring, the crispy crunch of diners breaking bread, and colorful cocktail prep behind the bar.
This ideally reinforces the connection in the customer’s brain between their everyday choices and the resulting impacts on the environment: “You’ve saved so many gallons of water, you’ve saved so many square meters of land and emissions and energy,” as Goldman says. Congratulations. The environmental mission can come later. So he took action.
Choosing the best POS system for bars in 2025 is essential for streamlining operations, enhancing customerexperience, and maximizing profits. A modern POS system for bars goes beyond just processing paymentsit helps with inventory management, staff scheduling, and real-time sales tracking. Pricing starts at $9.99/month.
Younger consumers lead the way on bar tips: a full 52 percent of 18-30 year-olds leave at least $5 for their bartender, compared to 44 percent of 31-49 year-olds and 40 percent of those over 50. Restaurants should lean into this trend: emphasize menu value, memorable experiences and promotions for tighter budgets. Target your audience.
A great dining experience starts long before someone walks through your door. Nearly every customer journey begins with a search on Google, then a scroll through several restaurant websites before something catches their eye. Relying solely on third-party platforms splits your traffic and gives away control of the customerexperience.
Americans tend to think of hot pot concepts as a casual dining, cook-at-the table experience, but Big Way has evolved the idea into a fully customizable, build-your-own bowl model. People then were reluctant to share communal pots of broth, but now Gen Z guests love a shared experience. Guests have endless options for customization.
Programs like AutoCAD, SmartDraw, and RoomSketcher offer 3D modeling features. These features help restaurant owners and interior designers draft layouts and experiment with configurations. With VR, employees can familiarize themselves with the kitchen, bar, or service areas. This preemptive training reduces the learning curve.
The next youre racing to keep inventory stocked while customers wait for tables. Whether youre a seasoned owner or just starting out, this advice will help you boost efficiency, keep your team motivated, and turn customers into regulars. That keeps customers coming back for more. CustomerExperience 5.
POS systems do more than just process payments they enable restaurants to personalize menus by analyzing customer data. Customer Insights : Track orders, dietary preferences, and trends. Integrations : Connect with loyaltyprograms, delivery platforms, and inventory systems for seamless personalization.
Whether you’re connecting loyaltyprograms, online ordering, or inventory tools, open APIs make it possible to tailor your POS to match your exact operational needs. All successful businesses know they must adapt to the market and customer expectations. Backed by open data that is free for anyone to republish or use as is.
Those priorities include increased marketing and sales efforts alongside new benefits and programs to attract and retain staff. More than half of those surveyed, 55 percent, said increasing sales is 2025’s top priority, followed by reducing costs and enhancing guest experiences. Franchise 2.0:
Celebrate your customers with loyaltyprograms and grow your retention rate. According to Metrobi , Loyaltyprogram members visit restaurants 20% more frequently than non-members. In this article, we look at why rewards matter and how to go about setting a program up. How can you stand out?
Ranked #1 out of 27 competitors, SpotOn’s superior performance and customer satisfaction highlight its dedication to helping restaurants succeed. CoastAL Orange Beach (Pensacola, Florida): Pensacola area bar named one of the best bars in the US by USA Today for its live music, loyal patrons, cold Bushwackers, and fresh seafood.
With rising ingredient prices, labor shortages, and tighter margins, operators must find strategic ways to reduce restaurant costs without compromising quality or customerexperience. Increasing restaurant profits allows you to invest in upgrades, like better equipment or a nicer place for customers to eat.
Optimizing the BarProgram with Digital Tools Beverages, especially alcoholic ones, offer some of the highest profit margins in the restaurant industry. Offering virtual or hybrid event options with interactive dining experiences. VIP experiences like virtual chefs table dinners or online mixology classes.
From the front-of-house to the kitchen, modern POS solutions reduce manual errors, improve staff productivity, and enhance the customerexperience. Enhances Order Accuracy: Directly sends orders to the kitchen, cutting mistakes by 25% and improving customer satisfaction. Want to know more?
They provide better flexibility, real-time insights, and improved customerexperiences. Enhanced Security: Built-in safeguards for customer and business data. Integration-Friendly: Easily connects with delivery platforms, accounting tools, and loyaltyprograms. Additionally, payment processing time drops by 20%.
From wait times and staff efficiency to sales trends and customer satisfaction, POS system performance offers critical insights into daily operations. In a quick-service restaurant, the employee will read the total charge on the POS display and immediately collect payment from the customer.
It's essential for smooth operations, accurate reporting, and a great guest experience. However, many modern cloud-based POS systems have features and integrations that make them crucial to the staff and guest experience and the restaurant's profitability. The POS system is a restaurant's command center.
"The pandemic forced the restaurant industry to reinvent itself overnight, moving from a primarily in-store dining experience to an omnichannel, digital-first business. These changes have become permanent shifts in how they target customers, market themselves, and design their offerings." How Do You Stack Up?
The right POS setup can make it easier to take orders, manage staff, track sales, and keep customers happy. Instead, the system offers customers a cash discount, helping you protect your profit margins and reduce operating costswithout compromising on service. Integration with online ordering, loyaltyprograms, and inventory tracking.
The craft beer industry is evolving fast, and breweries are under pressure to serve more customers, manage inventory in real time, and keep operations lean. In this post, we explore why breweries are making the switch and how the right POS system can support growth, streamline service, and improve the overall guest experience.
While these might seem important to you, they rarely make or break a dining experience. Multiple choice works well for specific preferences in your restaurant survey questions, while open-ended responses allow guests to elaborate on their experience in their own words. For a family restaurant : How kid-friendly was your experience?
The way customers pay is evolving, and restaurants are adapting quickly. If you’re wondering why restaurants are going cashless, the answer lies in speed, security, and customer preference. Cashless systems streamline operations, reduce theft risk, and align with the growing demand for contactless experiences.
Whether you want more customization, smoother POS integration , or simply a more professional look on your TVs and tablets, the market is full of digital beer menu software worth considering. Custom branding : Can you match the look and feel of your brand? Multiple menu types : Can you show beers, wines, cocktails, and food?
Over the last several years, QR order and pay has gone from being a fringe technology to a widely used solution for restaurants, bars, breweries, and wineries. Misconception 2: QR won't work well for up-scale full-service concepts because it will create a lousy guest experience. At all tables or just outdoor seating?
Even though local and state orders prohibiting or severely restricting restaurants’ ability to serve customers and generate and revenue, standard business liability policies did not provide coverage, and many policies had a pandemic exclusion. The pandemic made speed, accuracy, and seamless ordering non-negotiable. more an hour.
” Average Check: This represents the average amount that is spent by each customer dining. Their financial health often hinges on a strong beverage program and optimized labor. Customerloyalty and promotions are ways to keep COGS in a café within healthy margins. The mix of food and beverage sales is also key.
Whether you run a restaurant, café, bar, or hotel, a modern, cloud-based POS can streamline operations, improve guest experiences, and support long-term growth. Look for: Custom dashboards Location-based performance reporting Mobile-accessible analytics 3. But not all cloud POS platforms are created equal.
The right system does more than process payments—it streamlines operations, manages inventory, tracks sales, and enhances the customerexperience. The biggest reasons to have a POS are to streamline your restaurant operations, improve guest experience, and keep more profits in your account.
A bar or brewery is considered to be the highest profit margin restaurant business with a gross profit margin on alcohol that's around 80%. But many owners don't account for the high fixed costs of bars —like repairs, insurance, and alcohol theft which can leave them with less profit than expected.
Turn Pricing into a Growth Strategy : A smarter approach to menu pricing can boost revenue and profitability without compromising guest experience. ” Fake ID Spikes St Patrick’s Day marks a big weekend for bars, restaurants, and dispensaries across the country. Miller Lite (+5.4 percent), Modelo Especiál (+9.6
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