May 23, 2022

What’s in your restaurant tech stack? The best restaurant technology—backed by data

Who remembers the line from When Harry Met Sally when Carrie Fisher goes, “Restaurants are to people in the 80s what theaters were to people in the 60s”?

Source: Wordpress.com

What would that line be now? A seamless digital experience is to people in the 2020s what drive-thrus were to people in the 2000s? Or, AI and automation are to people in the 2020s what mobile was to people in the 00s?

No matter how you look at it, the restaurant experience has changed significantly, especially in the past few years. Now, restaurants need to have an online presence in order to succeed, and not only that, but they need to keep it updated and optimized for today’s customer expectations.

According to Google, 89% of diners research restaurants on their phone before visiting. And there are over one billion restaurant searches on Google every month, with a growing number of searches for “food near me”. The opportunities are there.

As a response to changing customer preferences, staffing challenges, and environmental and safety concerns, many restaurants are turning to contactless menus using QR codes, mobile ordering, mobile apps, and digital checks. As of 2021, 7 in 10 restaurants are single-unit establishments, meaning that they may not have big corporate teams to implement and manage the latest tech. But since 73% of diners feel that restaurant technology improves their experience, restaurant operators of all types of businesses should invest in technology now, and start getting comfortable with the new diner expectations.

To meet these high consumer expectations while maintaining a positive staff environment, restaurateurs are turning to new restaurant technology and integrated systems, the “restaurant tech stack”. 95% of restaurant owners feel that restaurant technology helps their business to be more efficient. The right restaurant tech stack can help even the busiest restaurant teams deliver incredible service and keep up with major chains without breaking the bank.

Restaurant technology trends

As Gen Z grows up, gets on the road and out on their own, and more digital natives gain spending power, the restaurant experience will only get more tech-y.

Recent restaurant industry research from Toast shows that:

More than half of millennials (54%) prefer the option of a self-ordering kiosk
Most guests (62-88%) choose to use their credit card for both low-ticket and high-ticket items, like coffee or a fancy meal, respectively
Less than one third of restaurants (31%) offer mobile payments
The most popular restaurant operations tech solutions are POS technology, payment processing systems, accounting software, and payroll software
Diners care most about online reservations and free Wifi
61% of restaurant-goers believes that when servers have handheld tablets, it creates a better experience

Some of the top restaurant technology trends in 2022 are:

Smart restaurants: High tech restaurants that incorporate robotics, AI, and self-serve kiosks to operate more efficiently.
Contactless restaurant technology like menus and digital checks/receipts
Apps and loyalty programs
Online and mobile ordering
Automated reservation management systems
Integrations with popular reservation systems and other restaurant technologies: Restaurant owners say that their top integrations are credit card processing systems, accounting software, and inventory management along with their POS system.
Touch screen kiosks

What technology do restaurants use?

A typical restaurant tech stack might look like this:

A point of sale (POS) system
An email service provider
A website (many use an all-in-one website builder/CMS)
Social media management tools
Branding and marketing platforms
Payroll software
Accounting software
Phone and voicemail systems
Reservation software
Customer service and feedback tools
Loyalty programs
Online and mobile ordering
Food delivery trackers or partner programs
Digital checks/receipts
Digital menus with QR codes
Digital menu screens
Tabletop tablets with card payment systems
Self-service kiosks
Food and beverage inventory management systems
Vendor management platforms or spreadsheets
Equipment management tools
Employee onboarding and training portals
Compliance and policy management tools
Employee communication apps
Customer communication apps

This list can go on and on depending on the technology your audience prefers and the mission, branding, and identity of your restaurant. For some customers, order-ahead is a must-have feature for their morning coffee since they run on a tight schedule. For others, they prefer a more collaborative environment of a community-oriented space with local meetups advertised via SMS.

According to G2, a third-party review site, the top 10 restaurant management software platforms that restaurants are using in 2022 are:

The top tech tools for restaurants, by category

Here are the tools that restaurateurs swear by to provide the best possible guest experience.

By the way — did you know that the top three reasons people call restaurants are 1) to make reservations, 2) to place takeout orders, and 3) to modify existing reservations? There are tools on this list to help you automate all of those requests, saving your restaurant team time to serve the customers you have standing in front of you.

Restaurant Payment + POS Technology

Toast, POS, online/mobile payments, all-in-one restaurant management: 4.5/5 stars on G2, TrustRadius
Square POS, POS, payment platform, online ordering, and more: 4.6/5 stars on G2, 4.5/5 stars on TrustRadius
Clover, payments, analytics, restaurant management: 4/5 stars on G2, 4.5/5 stars on TrustRadius
Lightspeed Restaurant, POS, online ordering, loyalty program, and more: 4.5/5 stars on G2, 3/5 stars on TrustRadius

Restaurant Ordering Technology

Toast: 4.5/5 stars on G2, TrustRadius
Square POS: 4.6/5 stars on G2, 4.5/5 stars on TrustRadius
Lightspeed Restaurant: 4.5/5 stars on G2, 3/5 stars on TrustRadius
ChowNow, branded online ordering for restaurants: 4.5/5 stars on G2

Restaurant Phone + Customer Service Technology

Slang, an AI-powered virtual phone agent for restaurants, helped the Weimann Maclise restaurant group eliminate hundreds of unanswered voicemails. Digital phone and customer service technology, like live chat software, SMS communication, and virtual assistants help to improve the customer experience, all while generating helpful data for your business.

Slang.ai, branded virtual phone agent: Saves restaurants 200+ hours per month, on average.
CallRail, phone tracking and analytics: 4.6/5 stars on G2, 4/5 stars on TrustRadius
Zendesk Support Suite, live chat and customer support: 4.5/5 stars on G2, 4/5 stars on TrustRadius
Intercom, an engagement OS for building customer relationships: 4.5/5 stars on G2, 4/5 stars on TrustRadius

Restaurant Reservation Apps

The top tech feature that diners want from restaurants is the ability to make an online reservation.

SpotOn, restaurant online reservations and waitlists: 4.7/5 stars on Capterra
TablesReady, a virtual waitlist app for restaurants: 4.6/5 stars on Capterra

Restaurant Marketing + Branding Tools

Canva, an easy-to-use restaurant branding and design tool: 4.5/5 stars on G2, 4.5/5 stars on TrustRadius
MailChimp, an email marketing platform: 4.5/5 stars on G2, 4/5 stars on TrustRadius
Squarespace, a website builder platform and content management system (CMS) that integrates with Shopify if you sell products: 4.5/5 stars on G2, 4/5 stars on TrustRadius

Restaurant AI Technology

Slang.ai: 80% caller satisfaction score
Halla, shopper behavior mapping with AI: Increases in-store sales by $5+ per shopper per month
Grubhub, voice-powered ordering on the app: 4/5 stars on G2

Restaurant Inventory Management and Operations Software

GloriaFood, food ordering and delivery system for restaurants: 4.7/5 stars on Capterra
Marketman, restaurant inventory management system: 4.7/5 stars on Capterra
WhenIWork, employee scheduling and time management app: 4.5/5 stars on Capterra
Parsley, culinary operations management and recipe sharing: 4.9/5 stars on Capterra
7shifts, restaurant employee scheduling: 4.7/5 stars on Capterra

Ready to use tech to improve your restaurant experience?

Whatever your biggest challenges as a restaurant manager or operator are, there’s a platform that can help you. Whether you’re overwhelmed with staffing, inventory, reaching new audiences, retaining customers, or managing customer service, there are new restaurant technologies that meet even the most specific needs.

Looking for a restaurant tech solution that you can get up and running in just a few minutes? Try Slang.ai, the first customizable, AI-powered restaurant virtual assistant. Your customers will love it.

Authors

Alex Sambvani

Alex

What’s in your restaurant tech stack? The best restaurant technology—backed by data

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