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Steady Online Ordering Brings Food Waste, Donations to the Forefront of Priorities Orderingfood online increases restaurant sales, but it also can potentially increase wasted food if proactive measures aren’t taken – for both the business and consumers at home.
As well as ensuring your customers are provided with a great customer experience and delicious food, accommodating for the busy period will ensure your workforce remains happy. Predict Inventory Needs Your POS system can use past data to estimate how much stock is needed to meet upcoming demand in your restaurant.
Around 33 to 40 percent of food goes to waste each year. A large chunk of that comes down to complex problems in global food supply chain management that most restaurants have little control over. What restaurants can do, however, is re-think how their direct food supply is managed – from transport to inventory control.
“As the restaurant industry appears to increasingly embraces AI, the journey to full-scale transformation is still a work in progress," said Evert Gruyaert, restaurants and food service industry leader, Deloitte. "Leveraging That includes things like voice AI in drive thrus to automate the order-taking process.
For example, implementing procedures to monitor inventory closely can prevent overstocking or food spoilage, while clear cleaning and maintenance schedules ensure the proper use and consumption of supplies. Adopt technology : Use tech solutions to simplify operations, such as automated scheduling or inventory tracking systems.
The hospitality industry has always been about delivering great service—but today, that means more than just good food and friendly staff. For years, restaurant technology has been about speed and efficiency—faster orders, better scheduling, streamlined payments. Contactless ordering and AI powered recommendations.
These systems can understand various accents and dialects, process orders accurately, and even upsell menu items based on customer preferences. Inside restaurants, AI is powering self-ordering kiosks and chatbots, streamlining the ordering process and reducing human error. One of the most impactful areas is inventory management.
Self-serve kiosks, QR-code menus, and personalized ordering systems will continue to redefine how patrons interact with venues. In 2025, expect to see more restaurants and bars adopting eco-friendly practices, such as reducing food waste, sourcing locally, and using energy-efficient equipment.
Scaling an artisan food business is no easy feat. Many small food businesses reach a critical point where they must decide whether to remain small and exclusive or expand into wholesale, manufacturing, and broader distribution. Increased interest from wholesale buyers or retailers requesting larger orders.
They can even send SMS messages to on-the-ground restaurant staff, pretending to be a delivery service driver getting in touch about an issue with an order; in this scenario, unsuspecting restaurant staff are tricked into clicking on a malicious link, unwittingly installing malware or granting unauthorized access to the restaurant’s network.
Over the last two decades, I’ve worked alongside operators in just about every hospitality setting—independent cafés, high-end dining rooms, food halls, and regional chains. We saw widespread adoption of mobile payments, digital ordering, and contactless dining almost overnight. Operators had to shift—fast.
Thanks to these technologies, tasks such as orderingfood and paying bills can take place on a self-service basis. In quick-serve restaurants, staff can focus on preparing food rather than taking orders. This is important because signal loss interrupts digital services such as QR-based ordering and kiosks.
This trend of seeking out a more sustainable process of e-commerce related to food goods is not going away anytime soon. Here are some key strategies you and your target food delivery partners can be using to create a more sustainable future. Fuel and e-commerce order management systems help streamline delivery routes.
One location might offer seamless mobile ordering, while another struggles with glitchy payment systems, creating inconsistencies that can frustrate customers and impact revenue. Customers crave simplified steps at the beginning and end of their food service experiences, and it’s not hard to understand why.
At the same time, a rise in fast-food prices driven by inflation is reshaping consumer behavior, with many customers now treating fast food as a splurge rather than a convenience. For example, AI can help QSRs make smarter inventory decisions by analyzing purchasing trends and aligning ingredient orders with demand.
Now, they're on their phones before they arrive, checking your reviews, looking at food photos, and getting recommendations based on their past orders. Remember when guests used to walk in, grab a menu, and browse through every page? Your future staff is doing the same thing with their job search.
Fast-casual concepts like Sammy’s Sliders, which offer high-quality, craveable food with speed and flexibility, are perfectly positioned for this shift. Customers expect seamless online ordering, loyalty programs, and delivery options, and franchise systems need to invest in tech to stay competitive.
A bar is a profitable business option if you’re looking to enter the food industry. Start by tracking all the income your bar generates, including sales from drinks, food, and any additional services. Once you have that total, subtract all of your costs, such as labor, inventory, rent, utilities, and other operating expenses.
A spike in food costs, a drop in sales volume, or one slow season can wipe out months of hard work. They tell you how much money your restaurant keeps after paying for everything from food costs to labor expenses to utilities and rent. There are two kinds of margins you need to know. Why are restaurant profit margins so thin?
This trend of seeking out a more sustainable process of e-commerce related to food goods is not going away anytime soon. Here are some key strategies you and your target food delivery partners can be using to create a more sustainable future. Fuel and e-commerce order management systems help streamline delivery routes.
Is online ordering inefficient? Do you lose money due to food waste? Experiencing over-ordering or last-minute shortages? Experiencing over-ordering or last-minute shortages? An inventory management system with automated restocking alerts keeps your stock levels in check. Are labor costs too high? Set clear goals.
In order to address ongoing economic strains, more restaurant operators are choosing to strategically use technology and data to become "smarter, not smaller." "That means smarter scheduling, streamlined menus, better inventory control, and automation that frees staff to focus on hospitality. . "Operators
With rapid advances happening across various industries, including the food industry, you might be wondering: What does AI have to do with running my restaurant? It allows AI to understand and respond to human language, which is how virtual assistants can answer customer questions or take online orders. The short answer?
Real-time inventory systems help restaurants cut food waste , save money, and improve operations. Here’s how: Track Stock in Real-Time : Monitor inventory levels instantly to avoid overstocking or understocking. Forecast Demand : Use sales data to predict future needs and order the right quantities.
After all, it’s not just the quality of your food that can keep customers coming back — 73% of diners base their satisfaction on the quality of service they receive. How do you handle unexpected challenges, such as equipment failure or supply shortages? How do you ensure compliance with food safety and hygiene regulations?
Independent restaurants have always been cornerstones of community, providing anything from comfort foods to places to unwind, but despite their vital role in society, adapting to the challenges continues to be a struggle. Digital ordering systems free up staff to engage with guests rather than being tied to a register.
Introduction In the fast-paced world of restaurants, keeping a close eye on your inventory is as vital as the secret sauce in your signature dish. Proper inventory tracking helps reduce waste, control costs, and boost profits. What Is Restaurant Inventory Management? Key Components of Restaurant Inventory Management 1.
By Lindsay Lawrence, Contributor Relocating a restaurant is no small feat, as it involves managing the transportation of kitchen equipment, reestablishing the space’s atmosphere, and ensuring minimal disruption to your business. These tools make it easier to ensure that equipment will fit properly.
A Dilemma of “Super Size” Proportions Amid rising food prices and shifting consumer preferences, the restaurant industry is facing a dilemma of “super size” proportions. Red Robin climbs 3 percent to 78 thanks in large part to its focus on menu and food. Still, the food and service metrics are quite high.
Consistent Equipment Across Locations : Using standardized equipment across all locations, such as commercial deep fryers , ensures consistency in food preparation and quality. Here are some quick fixes: Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems: Modern POS systems simplify ordering and payment.
“Through expansive experiences that inspire our guests paired with the ambiance of the space and the food on the plate, we’re setting new standards for the industry and creating truly spectacular moments for all who enter our restaurants and bars.” That’s where the NEXT Flavor Report comes in.
There is an opportunity for restaurants that can modernize in a way that meets the needs of the diner while simultaneously overcoming food, labor, and technological challenges to run more predictable and profitable businesses. It certainly isn’t an easy proposition – but a holistic approach to restaurant modernization is critical.
A strong POS system can streamline operations, inventory and menu management, assist with staffing shortages and scheduling conflicts, as well as assist with sorting through data and sales patterns to help personalize marketing campaigns in a new location. Tracking inventory can prevent unnecessary and costly food waste.
In this article, you will learn: The five most important restaurant costs to track and manage Easy strategies for controlling food costs and labor costs Tactics to save money without hurting your guest experience Lets start with the big picture and learn where your money is actually going.
Rising Food Costs Are Straining Restaurant Finances According to TouchBistro's 2025 State of Restaurants report , food costs remain the number one source of financial strain for restaurant owners, with 26 percent citing it as their biggest financial challenge. Seven Reasons to Make Business Credit a Priority 1.
"These tariffs could deeply affect the food service and hospitality industries on both sides of the border," Alex Thalassinos, President of Silverware POS, one of the first tech providers dedicated to Canada’s hospitality industry, told Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine.
Youre not just managing food and staff, youre battling slim profit margins, high operating expenses, and constantly changing customer preferences. Because the truth is, most restaurants dont close because of bad food. Its a restaurant industry myth that all you need to fill your tables is great food and a good vibe.
Nowadays, running a successful restaurant takes more than great food and good service. Another way to get local backlinks is from local news articles, food bloggers, or restaurant directories to boost your visibility in search results. Make sure to add high-quality photos of your food, interior, and staff.
To tackle these challenges, restaurant owners are relying more on digital tools like mobile ordering, self-service kiosks, and AI-powered workforce management. Self-order and payment kiosks as well as QR code menus are streamlining front-of-house operations, improving order accuracy and speeding up service.
One of operators most difficult challenges is balancing restaurant operating costs without compromising the food, service, and customer experience that makes your restaurant unique. If youre pushing out more orders, getting more ingredients, and staffing more servers, these costs will reflect that.
They connect tools like inventory tracking, payroll, and online ordering into one system, allowing real-time data access for smarter decisions. Key benefits include: Efficiency : Automates workflows like inventory management and order processing. This level of transparency builds trust and encourages repeat business.
How do you handle multiple tables and orders at once? What steps would you take if a customer received the wrong order? How do you maintain accuracy when taking orders for large groups? How do you handle special dietary requests or food allergies? How do you handle multiple tables and orders at once?
From inefficient workflows to outdated equipment, energy-wasting mistakes in restaurants are more commonand costlythan most realize. Modern POS systems arent just for order-taking; they can now help track, optimize, and reduce energy usage across daily operations. Track inventory to reduce food waste and energy-intensive storage.
Food prices continue rising at grocery stores and through suppliers, while staffing gaps and shifting guest preferences add extra pressure to already thin margins. For instance, restaurant operators who track ingredient usage patterns and implement precise portion controls see significant reductions in food waste.
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