TECH: 3 Tech Trends Affecting Your Restaurant’s Operations
Restaurants, like most industries today, are quickly incorporating technologies to help them become more efficient, improve the guest experience, and ultimately become more successful. As we move into a new decade, it is becoming apparent that restaurant technologies are going to change the way business is done. And while this might seem like a daunting ordeal, it should excite operators! Here are a few ways that tech is making a big difference in restaurants’ day-to-day operations.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Wendy’s Settles Child Labor Probe
Wendy’s will pay $400,000 in a child labor probe in Massachusetts. The allegations are similar to those brought against Chipotle in MA. According to Massachusetts’s Attorney General, they received a complaint about a teen employee working too late at night and beyond the nine-hour daily legal limit. The AG estimates there were nearly 2,100 violations by Wendy’s in Massachusetts. Half of the fine will go to a fund educating young people about child labor laws.
NOLA Travel Surge
One of the top reasons people head to the Big Easy is to celebrate Mardi Gras, and travel to New Orleans over the past several years has surged. The number of people heading to the Louisiana city doubled from 2014 to 2018. The flood of tourists also brought more money to New Orleans, ushering $6.8 billion to the Big Easy in 2014. By 2018, that number skyrocketed to $9.1 billion.
McD Candles
McDonald’s is releasing six candles that, when burned together, will make your house smell like a quarter pounder. The scents range from Bun, Ketchup, Pickle, Cheese, Onion, and 100% Fresh Beef. And the fine folks at Eater decided to rate each of them so you don’t have to.
THE CULINARY BERN
Why it matters to you: What does Sanders’ big win with the culinary union in Nevada mean for our industry?
This past Saturday, the third primary state held their caucus to select the Democrat that will run in the general election this November. Bernie Sanders won a decisive victory by courting members of the Latino community throughout the state. If you are looking for some proof of his success with that effort, you need look no further than his results with members of the Culinary Union and their 60,000 members. Exit polling showed Sanders commanding a 34% share of union voters, even in the face of a perceived beef with union leadership. There is a serious revelation here about where restaurant employees’ influence impacted this specific primary. It clearly demonstrates the 15 million people that work in the restaurant industry make up a voting block that is attracted to Sanders’ agenda. You may disagree politically with some or all of Sanders’ policies, but as restaurant operators, national healthcare would sure eliminate one headache you may be managing.
You not only would not have to administer any specialized insurance, but you will also have employees that are healthier, can see the doctor when they aren’t, and are generally more stable. Yes, providing credible health insurance is a way to attract great staff as a point of differentiation. However, not having the expense anymore, and knowing your team has healthcare, will be such a burden lift it might just be good for our industry. The main point is that if Sanders’ message made it through to the working folks of the culinary union in Nevada, it is likely getting through to your employees as well. We aren’t rooting for anyone here, but after last Saturday, it might be a forgone conclusion where we are headed. If nothing else, it will surely be an entertaining cycle to be sure.
[Source: Eater]
KEEP IT CLEAN
Why it matters to you: A clean restaurant is the most important aspect of the guest experience.
The conversation surrounding the guest experience never seems to end, but we might be having it from the wrong perspective. Predominantly the conversation hovers about new and cool, things that will divert your guests and entice them to return. But it’s the basics of the guest experience that should have your primary attention, especially if you don’t execute them well. Let’s face it, the first thing a guest can assess about your restaurant is the condition in which it is kept. If the first thing they are faced with is sloppy or lacks organization, they instantly form an opinion that you must manage during their visit.
As they continue to visit, if nothing disabuses them of their first impression then you may never see them again. The best example of this is your bathroom maintenance. When the guest is confronted with a dirty bathroom it will many times cause them to never return. In fact, 20% of guests won’t return for just that reason. This is especially true for women, who make the decision where to dine almost 70% of the time. Basics may be boring, but they are also the way to success. No one who visits your restaurant is going to take you seriously if the place is dirty and unmaintained. So you can ignore those basics, but you do so at your own peril.
[Source: Modern Restaurant Management]