Transforming
Innovations such as off-prem, predictive analytics, AI, IoT, and SD-WAN offer unprecedented opportunities for growth.
INSIDE
New technologies disrupting the restaurant industry
Preparing technology officers for new security and risk challenges
Critical considerations for 2022 investments and implementations
Restaurant Think Tank E-Book published by
PRESENTED BY
NEXT: meet the think tank
Restaurants
Technology Trends That Are
Meet the Think Tank
Vadim Parizher VP Engineering and Analytics Taco Bell Corp.
Andy Rebhun VP Digital Officer El Pollo Loco
Toby Malbec Managing Director ConStrata Technology Consulting
Joe Tenczar CIO Sonny’s BBQ
Robert Firpo-Cappiello Editor in Chief Hospitality Technology
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NEXT: responding to demand
Courtney Radke National CISO Retail & Hospitality
A Restaurant Think Tank E-Book published by
Restaurant Operators Crave New Tech
How Restaurants Rate Their Technology Compared With Competitors
data from HT’s 2021 Restaurant Technology Study: Building the “Next Normal”
How is the restaurant industry being disrupted by new technology trends?
Efficiency
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Technology accelerated during the pandemic, with larger chains leading the way in data aggregation and artificial intelligence. Technology is now seen as more of a solution than a cost.
Technology has become a defining factor. It began with contactless, and now that it’s a preference, the expectation is there. We used to cater to early adopters, but now it is mainstream and the bar is a lot higher.
Many mid-size brands have moved from dine-in to off-prem channels they didn’t have before. Now, brands need to look at one- to three- to five-year plans to make sure they’re protected down the road. A lot of that is data driven, understanding who your customers are.
“Now we’re moving into a post-pandemic era — shift from off-prem into the reality, scant resources, supply-chain issues, hiring issues,” notes Toby Malbec, Managing Director, ConStrata Technology Consulting. “Does that promote robotics? Other efficiencies? Menu changes?”
Technology is now seen as a revenue generator. The restaurants that can move into new operating models are creating better guest and employee satisfaction. Guests are used to tech and when you don’t or can’t provide it, that’s a differentiator in a bad way.
NEXT: how can we prepare?
INSIDE THE DATA
42% early adopter
19% innovator
13% laggard
25% late adopter
Restaurants Must Up Their In-House Tech Skills
Restaurants’ Top Technology Challenges
according to HT’s 2021 Restaurant Technology Study: Building the “Next Normal"
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How are technology officers preparing/training for future challenges?
“We’re moving toward untethered technology,” says Malbec. “The POS is not a fixed thing — it’s movable wherever you happen to be selling your food. We’re moving beyond the queue.”
NEXT: practical considerations
Growth plans need to be more fluid. Roadmap conversations are becoming much more flexible, and the traditional process of getting cap-ex approval has evolved— that process is now much more iterative.
As we add more technology, new risks arise. It used to be all about technology “sprints”— but now we see it’s really more of a “relay,” which includes all parts of the organization moving together. Networks and security have to be more ingrained in the process to move forward with fluidity.
A challenge for restaurants that operate in a franchise environment can be a misalignment of priorities. The franchise community must understand the strategy and put their dollars in that place.
The labor crisis has exposed inefficiencies that may not have been on roadmaps in the past. We are seeing a lot of focus on reducing friction for staff and managers.
Lack of IT budget
Lack of skilled technology resources in-house
Difficulty integrating with legacy systems
(13 percent)
(16 percent)
(18 percent)
The Dominance of Data
How Restaurants Are Leveraging Data to Enhance Guest Experience and Revenue
data from HT’s 2022 POS Software Trends Report: Integration, Mobility & Analytics
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Tactical approaches to prepare for 2022 and beyond
“You need to recognize that your POS must be flexible enough to allow for integration and expansion,” agrees Kimpel.
“A conceptual pain point is when your POS is down and your restaurant is dead in the water,” says Parizher. “We think software is what’s important, but we need to be able to run it on the devices that can give us flexibility.”
NEXT: what's next?
The pandemic made it clear to us how understaffed we were for technology and digital marketing—our headcount has grown as we’ve seen what a growth engine technology can be.
Complexity is always the enemy of security. Restaurants need to focus on a resilient, always-on customer experience—once you have a system that guests like, the minute it becomes unavailable that becomes a problem.
The guest experience cannot exceed the team experience. We’ve been building an omnichannel presence, now we’re bringing it all together so that it works from a marketing standpoint and an operational standpoint and one cannot run ahead of the other.
Investing in data and analytics is becoming more important to make sure you’re making the right decisions. Whether it’s transactional dining, like a QSR, or experiential, brands are still figuring out how to make the guest feel that the experience is differentiated.
Loyalty program
Upsell or discount offers
To determine staffing levels & performance
Menu optimization
Optimize inventory/ reduce food waste
Digital engagement (via text, email, browser)
Personalized offers based on previous buying habits
Line busting at drive-thru
Card on file/streamlining payments
86%
71%
64%
50%
29%
14%
What’s next?
Restaurant technology innovation that accelerated during the pandemic — including off-prem solutions such as drive-thru, delivery, and curbside — continues to drive customer experience and revenue.
Learn more at www.fortinet.com/retail
As the rate of innovation increases, so does the need for investment in effective training and data security.
Customer data — including guests’ dining preferences and habits — plays an increasingly dominant role in restaurants’ revenue strategies, via personalization and predictive analytics.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR FUTURE PLANNING:
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Interested?
