The Rail

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

A huge part of this experience is the customer service they receive at every contact point within the restaurant – and even after they’ve left. Here, we share practical and actionable ways to enhance your establishment’s customer service.

Customer Service 130

Customer Service Loyalty Program Customer Experience Point of Sale 130

ChowNow

MAY 16, 2025

Understanding what customers order, when they order, and how often is an untapped goldmine of information for restaurant operators. Using that data can help you answer questions like: Are we pricing our bestsellers too low or overpricing items customers arent buying? Ordering data includes more than just what gets sold.

Ordering 195

Ordering Online Ordering Seasonal Menu Point of Sale 195

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Third-party delivery apps start out as a convenient way to reach new customers, but they always take a significant chunk of your profits. While these platforms do bring in orders, they also come with the price of high commission fees, loss of customer data, and a weaker connection between you and your guests.

Ordering 195

Ordering Email Marketing Online Ordering Social Media 195

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 26, 2024

restaurants broke records with projected sales of $1.1 Additionally, labor shortages remain a critical pain point, driving up wages across the industry. Outsourcing high-risk services, such as delivery, can alleviate exposure to rising auto insurance costs, which are projected to climb in 2025.

2025 418

2025 Management Management Insurance 418

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 2, 2025

With 70 percent of operators struggling to fill job openings and 45 percent reporting they don’t have enough staff to meet customer demand, according to the National Restaurant Association. These technologies help streamline operations, lighten the workload for staff, and create a better experience for both employees and customers.

Technology 251

Technology Mobile Ordering Front of House Back of House 251

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 30, 2025

billion transactions and $67 billion in sales in 2024. Companies saw a sales boost in 2024 as loyalty transactions increased by over 30 percent. In recent years, consumer behaviors have drastically changed to now preferring delivery services and an increased willingness to pay a premium for a seamless experience.

Fast Casual 251

Fast Casual Food Point of Sale Mobile Ordering 251

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 18, 2024

So much data is generated at every point within a restaurant, whether fast casual or fine dining. – Misty Chalk, vice president, Americas at BrightSign AI Continues to Revolutionize Restaurant Operations and Guest Services: The restaurant sector is poised for a seismic shift as AI integration takes center stage. .

2025 419

2025 Loyalty Program Social Media Fast Casual 419

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 16, 2025

The results demonstrated that online consumers seek delivery services from providers committed to carbon-neutral processes. While this helps lower their carbon footprint, a good portion of all those produced goods must be moved from point A to point B. Fuel and e-commerce order management systems help streamline delivery routes.

Sustainability 251

Sustainability Delivery Food Recycling 251

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 23, 2025

Per the National Restaurant Association , 46 percent of restaurateurs reported a net increase in customer traffic from January 2024 to January 2025. How Cybercriminals Exploit Third-Party Vendors to Attack Restaurants As online ordering continues to triumph and restaurants become more digital, opportunities for cybercriminals increase.

Online Ordering 251

Online Ordering POS Small Business Employee Relations 251

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 27, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced thousands of traditional restaurants to transform themselves into order ahead restaurants; pre-pandemic, only 15 percent of restaurants offered curbside pickup; today, that’s up to 70 percent. Automating Order Ahead Logistics. But they lacked a piece of technology to manage it.

Ordering 428

Ordering Mobile Ordering Customer Service Customer Experience 428

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Here are a few examples of tech-centered solutions to ease the ongoing labor crisis in restaurants by putting more functionality directly in the hands of customers: Digital Tableside Ordering to Support Service Staff. At full-service restaurants, servers are responsible for crucial tasks. Enter digital tableside ordering.

Technology 563

Technology Loyalty Program Fast Casual Email Marketing 563

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 27, 2025

In today's digital landscape, restaurants have become prime targets for cybercriminals who take advantage of potential entry points from point-of-sale systems, online ordering platforms, customer databases, loyalty programs and third-party delivery services. In January 2023, Yum!

Insurance 283

Insurance Document Employee Relations 2023 283

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 27, 2021

Adopting in-house technologies became necessary for restaurants to stay open throughout the pandemic, restart operations after temporary closures, and pivot services to maintain revenue while still following enhanced health and safety protocols. Too Much Tech Is Not a Solution. As such, an industry migration is underway.

Front of House 609

Front of House Back of House Loyalty Program Customer Experience 609

ChowNow

MARCH 27, 2025

These metrics give you a clear picture of your delivery performancefrom order volume and customer retention to delivery speed and profitability. These metrics give you a clear picture of your delivery performancefrom order volume and customer retention to delivery speed and profitability.

Delivery 195

Delivery Online Ordering Loyalty Program Food 195

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

What was once a gradual process turned into a rapid transformation, permanently reshaping how restaurants operate and interact with customers. Customers have now fully embraced the benefits of using restaurant technology, and to keep up with guests evolving expectations, the tech industry is growing at an incredible rate.

2025 195

2025 Technology Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering 195

ChowNow

MAY 23, 2025

A spike in food costs, a drop in sales volume, or one slow season can wipe out months of hard work. A spike in food costs, a drop in sales volume, or one slow season can wipe out months of hard work. For example: Lets say your restaurant made $100,000 in total sales last month. What Are Restaurant Profit Margins?

Point of Sale 195

Point of Sale Insurance Fast Casual Customer Service 195

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 25, 2021

Monitoring consumer preferences, patterns, and sales data from all touch points, AI-empowered solutions can predict the need for ingredients with record accuracy. Still recovering from diminished margins, restaurateurs are facing heightened consumer standards in the new, post-pandemic market. First Priority: Getting Smarter.

Ordering 493

Ordering Operations Sustainability Food Supply 493

ChowNow

JANUARY 23, 2025

Regular customers make up the backbone of any restaurants sales , but if you put a group of restaurant owners around a table, the conversation inevitably focuses on growth through new customer acquisition. But first, why is customer retention such a big deal? Sales: 80% of sales typically come from 20% of clients.

2025 195

2025 Loyalty Program Operations Email Marketing 195

ChowNow

MARCH 7, 2025

Restaurants collect a ton of customer data. Every online order, email sign up, and reward program interaction generates valuable insightsbut if that data just sits there, youre missing a major opportunity. Think about it: What if you could automatically send a special offer to a customer who hasnt ordered in a while?

Loyalty Program 195

Loyalty Program Email Marketing Online Ordering Point of Sale 195

EATER

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images New CEO Brian Niccol is hoping customers will fall back in love with the coffee chain. The chain has seen declining sales , and foot traffic is down 10 percent over the last year. Here’s why they fell out of love in the first place. I used to be a near-daily Starbucks drinker.

Customer Experience 328

Customer Experience 2003 Point of Sale 2006 328

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

To maintain a healthy business and working environment, restaurant technology must enable ease and efficiency among employees and service staff as much as guests. To maintain a healthy business and working environment, restaurant technology must enable ease and efficiency among employees and service staff as much as guests.

Technology 531

Technology Point of Sale POS Mobile Ordering 531

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 16, 2022

Reports show that 81 percent of fine dining establishments, 78 percent of family restaurants, and 77 percent of fast-casual spots added curbside pickup, pivoting away from dine-in services after March 2020. On top of that, nearly half of all restaurants offered delivery services during the pandemic. meal delivery consumer spending.

Online Ordering 472

Online Ordering Management Management Point of Sale 472

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

If your business isnt keeping up with the changes, you risk falling behind and not meeting modern customer expectations. Diners want the convenience of ordering, booking, and engaging with their favorite restaurants straight from their phones.

2025 195

2025 Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Online Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 8, 2021

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restaurant shutdowns, online ordering has become the go-to method for many customers. By using loyalty programs as a way to encourage customers to order directly. Increasing customer retention rates by five percent increases profits by 25 percent to 95 percent.

Loyalty Program 531

Loyalty Program Point of Sale POS Email Marketing 531

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 16, 2025

The results demonstrated that online consumers seek delivery services from providers committed to carbon-neutral processes. While this helps lower their carbon footprint, a good portion of all those produced goods must be moved from point A to point B. Fuel and e-commerce order management systems help streamline delivery routes.

Sustainability 221

Sustainability Delivery Recycling Food 221

ChowNow

MARCH 13, 2025

Managing delivery orders shouldnt feel like running an obstacle course, but for many restaurant operators, thats exactly what it is. Juggling multiple food delivery apps means switching between tablets, manually entering orders into the POS, and trying to keep track of ever-changing fees and commissions.

Delivery 195

Delivery Food Food Order Point of Sale 195

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

According to The Enterprises Project , digital transformation can be defined as the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers. Most customers would phone-in carryout orders. Try indexing your online ordering link.

Online Ordering 568

Online Ordering Point of Sale POS SEO 568

ChowNow

APRIL 11, 2025

If your restaurant uses delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Grubhub, you already know how overwhelming order volume can get when the rush hitsespecially when youre bouncing between tablets, updating menus in three places, and relying on staff to manually punch in each delivery order.

POS 195

POS Online Ordering Demo Point of Sale 195

ChowNow

APRIL 15, 2025

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) Cost of Goods Sold tells you how much it actually costs to make the food and beverage sales you sell. Monitoring your COGS helps you spot food waste, theft, over-ordering, or supplier price hikes before they eat into your gross profit margin.

Operations 195

Operations Email Marketing Point of Sale Online Ordering 195

ChowNow

MARCH 27, 2025

Menu pricing isnt just about covering costsits about finding that sweet spot where profitability, customer perception, and operational reality meet. Too high, and youll drive customers away. One way to offset costs and give you more breathing room for pricing is by encouraging guests to place orders through direct website ordering.

Pricing 195

Pricing Menu Point of Sale Customer Experience 195

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 25, 2022

As the impact of the pandemic wanes, restaurant owners should evaluate the contactless service options they implemented to keep customers and staff safe to see how they can help drive sales. Some restaurants even took safety a step further by eliminating in-person ordering and offering contactless payment.

Social Media 539

Social Media Email Marketing Mobile Ordering Kitchen Safety 539

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 4, 2022

Not only do businesses rely on an automated Point of Sale to handle a customer’s transaction–both fulfillment and payment– it is often preceded by customers interacting with digital signage, interactive apps, self-serve kiosks, and more. They’re expected to make up 51.7 percent of payments by 2024.

Point of Sale 505

Point of Sale Mobile Ordering Cash Management Customer Experience 505

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 2, 2022

The past two years have brought unprecedented changes across the restaurant industry, from new concerns related to social distancing and cleanliness to the acceleration of pre-pandemic trends such as the rise of mobile ordering and third-party delivery services. Strengthen Customer Retention. Set the Bar. Stay Connected.

Mobile Ordering 473

Mobile Ordering Front of House Back of House Consumer Goods 473

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 12, 2022

With deep roots in the restaurant industry, we’ve worked with our clients to test a number of strategies to take on Restaurant Week as an opportunity to attract new customers. The best solutions always put the focus on providing a fulfilling end-to-end experience for both your your customers and your staff.

Loyalty Program 558

Loyalty Program Online Ordering Point of Sale Customer Experience 558

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Nearly every restaurant in the United States relies on a Point of Sale (POS) system for the majority of its front-of-house operations. That system needs access to the internet in order to keep functioning. While this type of disruption hinders the customer experience, it can also be costly in terms of operations.

POS 520

POS Front of House Cash Management Online Ordering 520

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 31, 2024

Read on for predictions from industry insiders that include chili crunch, black limes, newstaglia, stealth health, and elevated snacking. Culinary and Cocktail Trend Forecasts Kimpton is returning with its annual Culinary + Cocktail Trend Forecast highlighting predictions from its global team of restaurant and beverage talent.

2025 450

2025 Beverage Fine Dining Guest Recovery 450

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 9, 2022

But independently owned, more agile operations can out-maneuver big brands by leaning on their point of sale (POS) platforms to increase sales and expand their client bases. Understand customer cravings and business needs through data. Another way to slice and dice data is to comb through food costs.

Front of House 490

Front of House Point of Sale POS Online Ordering 490