Let’s not beat around the bush — there’s a lot of restaurant technology out there. And with advancements happening all the time, the pool of choices isn’t going down anytime soon.
So how do you know what technology is right for your restaurant?
It’s a good question, and we’ll answer it in this article.
Keep reading to see what type of technology you should consider using in your restaurant in 2024, plus some useful things to consider when choosing the right restaurant tech for your business.
What type of restaurant tech should you be using in 2024?
Let’s walk through some of the technology you need in your restaurant tech stack
Point of sale (POS) systems
A POS system is usually at the heart of a restaurant’s tech stack.
Why?
Because it streamlines your restaurant operation. It manages orders, handles customer payments, and controls other restaurant operations.
Systems like LightSpeed, SumUp, Toast, and Vita Mojo are all examples of top-quality POS systems.
Side note: All of these systems integrate with Nory!
Depending on the system you use, you can also access valuable sales and performance data. Digital records for sales and revenue, prices per head, average bill amounts, most popular menu items, peak and quiet periods — the list goes on.
With access to all this information, you can make informed decisions about how to minimise costs, increase revenue, and grow your restaurant business.
Workforce management platforms
Managing your workforce is key to restaurant success — period. It helps you maximise employee productivity and improve resource allocation, ensuring that all your shifts are as profitable as possible.
This is where workforce management technology can help.
With the right platform, you can:
- Manage employee shifts
- Optimise shift schedules
- Track labour productivity
- Allocate resources effectively
You can also improve the employee experience with workforce management systems, which is essential to boost retention. Seamlessly onboard new hires, reward existing employees for their efforts, and give them the flexibility to handle their schedules and swap shifts.
Online delivery technology
Want to reach more customers in your local area? Online delivery technology is the way to go. 57% of consumers buy three takeaways a week, so online ordering is a great way to capture these consumers and generate more revenue.
Online ordering technology handles the ordering, payment, and delivery processes for online customers — but what sort of technology should you use to manage online orders?
There are a couple of ways to approach this:
- Using in-house technology. Creating a space on your website (or a mobile app) for customers to browse menus, place orders, and make payments online. This is probably the most time-intensive option, but it gives you control of your ordering process.
- Using third-party providers. Online ordering platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats handle all the technology and delivery logistics. It’s easier, less time-intensive to set up, and helps you reach a wider pool of potential customers. However, it does cut into your profits when they take a large commission fee.
Inventory management tools
Inventory management systems track, control, and optimise your restaurant inventory. From sourcing and storing ingredients to usage and restocking, it manages the entire inventory lifecycle.
An inventory system is a staple piece of technology for any restaurant. It gives you real-time access to inventory levels and raw materials, meaning that you can track costs, reduce food waste, and manage ingredients effectively.
Take a look at Hartshorn – Hook as an example. Using Nory’s inventory management features, the company can track food usage to predict future orders to minimise food waste. They spend less money on food items they don’t need, and increase their profit margins in the process.
Top tip💡Inventory systems can be tricky to wrap your head around. It’s a good idea to work with a company that’s on hand to provide support, show you the best practices, and make sure you’re using the system to its full capacity.
We’ll talk more about the importance of customer support later!
AI-powered software
AI feels like a buzzword at the moment, but there’s a reason it’s on everyone’s minds:
AI-powered tools offer incredible benefits to restaurants.
They use historical data to make informed and strategic improvements across your business. As a result, you’re in a much stronger position to grow and develop your restaurant.
Take a look at our workforce management features, for example. We analyse customer demand, shift preferences, and employee skills to create demand-based schedules. Deliver a quality customer experience and keep your costs in check by not over-scheduling.
Try Nory for yourself to see how it works!
But AI technology doesn’t end at workforce management. You can use tools that optimise inventory management, analyse sales performance, and so on. It’s a valuable advancement that should 100% be on your radar. If you don’t believe us, listen to Jacob Long, the Co-Founder of Griolladh:
“I was hesitant to use AI forecasting, but I was surprised by how accurate it was. It’s helped us save money and improve our scheduling.”
Things to consider when choosing restaurant tech
When sifting through the endless tech options on the market, keep these things in mind to narrow down your search and find platforms that fit the bill.
Excellent customer support is pivotal
Let’s be honest — not all restaurant technology is easy to use. And even if it is easy to use, you sometimes need a hand getting off the ground and figuring out how to navigate the system.
This is why effective customer support is essential to success. With the right support in place, you can maximise technology to its full potential.
Take inventory management as an example. Using technology to manage inventory isn’t easy, even for the most experienced restaurant managers. You need a platform that offers support, showing you how to use the system effectively to make the most out of it.
Shane Gleeson, Owner at Masa, talks about the importance of using a platform that offers the guidance you need to do it successfully (and how Nory delivered in this area 😏):
“Getting inventory setup is a huge undertaking – and we didn’t get the support we needed with MarketMan. With Nory, the support was better than what I anticipated. That was the difference. They really put the hours in, and even came in and helped us with stock…I was extremely happy.”
Adam Jeffries, Head of Operations at Clean Kitchen, also explains how Nory’s support has been instrumental to their success:
“The team was really supportive. Being able to just drop a note anytime I needed it and jump on the call immediately was great. It was good to get that sort of flexibility from the Nory team.”
Restaurant tech has to speak to each other
You need platforms to integrate to run a smooth operation. Think about how it works if your technology doesn’t work together. Flicking back and forth between systems, trying to consolidate performance data, and struggling to align processes.
Not ideal.
But when your systems work together, you can be much more efficient. Take a look at Nory, for example. Our software integrates with POS systems like Lightspeed and SumUp to streamline order management and help restaurants make informed decisions about growth.
Marta Morillas Escobar, Operations Manager at Buns from Home, also struggled with incompatible systems before using Nory:
“We were using Deputy as workforce management, and Excel for inventory management. It simply wasn’t scalable. Now, we have total oversight. For example, we can spot when specific stores use higher-priced ingredients. We can then find ways to reduce costs and increase our overall GP.”
When choosing technology for your restaurant, you need to find platforms that integrate, or that can handle multiple aspects of restaurant management — like Nory. Use our platform to manage your workforce, your inventory, and your performance in a single location. Bliss!
Choose technology that’s fit for purpose
Making sure you use the right technology can be the make or break of success for your restaurant. With the right tools in place, you’re set to thrive. Without them, productivity and efficiency can take a hit.
To choose the right restaurant tech for your business, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does it have all the features I need? Think about all the features you need to run the most efficient and profitable restaurant operation. Does the software meet all of these requirements?
- Will this technology grow and scale with my business? As your business grows and evolves, will the technology be able to support you? If not, you might be better off finding something that can. If technology can’t support your growth, it could hinder it.
Centralise your restaurant management efforts with Nory
Worried about trying to find restaurant tech that fits the bill? Use Nory to centralise the key restaurant management processes and improve your operations across the board.
Book a chat with the team at Nory to get the ball rolling!
FAQs about restaurant tech
What is restaurant tech?
Restaurant technology includes any platform that manages key aspects of restaurant operations — from POS systems to inventory management.
How is technology used in restaurants?
It’s used in lots of ways! To track sales, optimise schedules, manage inventory, reduce food waste, minimise costs, boost profit margins, improve the customer experience — and these are just to name a few.
