Tag: covid

SIX TECH TRENDS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY BORNE OUT OF THE PANDEMIC

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Technology and innovation have helped and in some instances saved restaurants as they changed their way of thinking about the overall guest experience. Many thrived by staying connecting and engaged with their customers with this new worldwide operating model and mindset.

SIX TECH TRENDS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY BORNE OUT OF THE PANDEMIC
By: Gary Occhiogrosso – Managing Partner Franchise Growth Solutions, LLC.

As a New Yorker in the restaurant and franchise business, I’ve seen the industry go through difficult times over the last two years. From total closure to outdoor dining in the wintertime to mandated “proof of vaccination” rules imposed on citizens. Some moves made by the restaurant industry in response to the pandemic and the government orders resulted in numerous changes.

From an optimistic viewpoint, there have been innovative changes that will remain in place. The good news is we are nearing the end of the pandemic and learning to live in a mostly vaccinated society as guest are returning to restaurants in droves. One of the more forward thinking initiatives is the restaurant industry’s embrace of technology in a way that many restaurateurs had not considered or even shunned before the global pandemic. There is no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic forced many industries to shift to digital mode. The restaurant industry is no exception as it steered toward the use of technology by introducing digital menus and online ordering options to keep its business alive, just to name a few.

Technology and innovation have helped and in some instances saved restaurants as they changed their way of thinking about the overall guest experience. Many thrived by staying connecting and engaged with their customers with this new worldwide operating model and mindset. Everything from online orders to self-checkout, contactless payment methods, and home delivery, the restaurant industry could not afford to ignore the latest trends set in the food industry if they were to remain relevant and competitive.

Here are six tech trends in the restaurant industry borne out of the pandemic. I believe they are here to stay:

Online Ordering
Before the pandemic hit the world, many restaurants were waiting for the right time to introduce online ordering options for their customers. However, the strict lockdown forced the restaurant industry across the globe to close their cafes, QSR’s as well as dine-in services and shift to the digital medium of ordering, payment adn pick-up.

Many online platforms helped the restaurant industry to continue their business by collaborating with them. A study reveals that almost one in three Americans use online food ordering systems once a week. They introduced digital menus for the customers to check what the restaurants are offering.

Contactless Payment
Another mainstream trend in the food industry is contactless payment. It is not only about placing online orders but also about receiving payments through smartcards, smartphones, and smartwatches. Contactless payment originally gained momentum slowly with the global food industry. However, the pandemic gave it a big push to accelerate the concept industry wide.

Ready Contactless Dining
Logo for Ready Contactless Dining app with QR code and text reading Pay Here visible, at a restaurant in the Silicon Valley, San Jose, California, December 18, 2021. Photo courtesy Tech Trends. (Photo by Gado/Getty Images)GADO VIA GETTY IMAGES

It is a more hygienic and safer means of placing an order with no personal interaction and no cash handling. Moreover, it is a quick and convenient way of receiving payment from customers for the orders placed. Restaurants wishing to stay competitive in the handheld device era must design plans that create digital payment methods for a better experience.

Restaurant Reservation Software
For the full service space, automating restaurant reservation schedules, not only increases efficiency in a time of ongoing labor challenges, it also conveys an updated image to your diners. Moreover, it reduces the chances of over or double booking. Short staffed restaurant with extra busy staffers often make mistakes disrupting a great guest experience. Therefore, the reservation software reduces or eliminates the need to attend calls to reserve tables or assign employees to handle the customers.

Drone Food Delivery Systems
With the high cost of third party delivery services, restaurateurs are seeking alternatives. Drone delivery in certain parts of the country are beginning to become popular. Automating the delivery process may eventually lead to some restaurants doing away with the delivery person’s existence entirely. With the advancement of technology, drones soon may completely replace drivers to ensure contactless, timely delivery. Moreover, they can also film the surroundings and offer many avenues for marketing initatives. Having food delivered through drones would eliminate the cost of hiring delivery people and reduce the environmental effects caused by the vehicles while at the same time lessen the need for expensive third party servies.

Chatbots
A newer trend taking hold in the food industry is the use of website Chatbots. Restaurants can easily create chatbots. They do not require much investment and can easily integrate with different communication mediums. While interacting with customers, a chatbox may:

* recommend dishes
* suggest food
* pair drink options
* process payments
*ask for feedback
*offer promotions
*announce events
*and even crack jokes

Air purification:
To increase health security, air quality and purification enters the minds of some guests. As a result, restaurants are focusing on upgrading air purification systems to improve air quality inside their restaurants. Some restaurants opt for filter systems that trap pollutants and neutralize contaminants in the air. Although these concepts are still emerging in the restaurant industry, they are becoming an integral part of safety measure and you can expect to see more of it as we continue to learn to live with the threat of viruses. These air purification measures are in addition to customers expectations that the staff sanitize the restaurant regularly and thoroughly before serving meals.

My “Take Away”
As technology changes everything from the guest experience to the ordering process to the functionality of the kitchens, restaurants must continue to evolve, innovate and monitor consumer trends if they expect to survive and thrive. Embracing the use of technology and digital solutions as a way remain competitive is undoubtedly here today and the future of our business.

New World, New Business: 5 Ways Small Businesses Are Adapting To COVID

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

“The unexpected has forced many to reevaluate plans, practices and procedures,” notes Andrea Forstadt on USChamber.com. “Yet one of the advantages of being a small business is the ability to more easily lean in to, embrace and adapt to change.

New world, new business: 5 ways small businesses are adapting to COVID

BY Brandpoint with permission.

(BPT) – COVID-19 has irrevocably altered the way that we do business. Some small businesses have floundered, while others have completely reinvented themselves.

In a recent survey by SCORE, just 34% of U.S. small business owners now categorize their companies as profitable, compared to 55% in 2019. As a result, they’re working hard to adapt — reconfiguring their offerings to boost revenues and planning such new strategies.

“The unexpected has forced many to reevaluate plans, practices and procedures,” notes Andrea Forstadt on USChamber.com. “Yet one of the advantages of being a small business is the ability to more easily lean in to, embrace and adapt to change. For many, the short-term alternate plans or adjustments are fast becoming the realities of the foreseeable future.”

Here are five trends that have impacted small business this year.

Freelancing has surged. As people rely on contract work to replace lost jobs, the number of freelancers in the U.S. is growing steadily. NPR reports that two million more Americans began freelancing between September of 2019 and September of 2020, boosting the freelance portion of the U.S. workforce to 26%. Studies also show that women lost jobs at a faster rate than men during the past year; and are more likely to pursue full-time freelance careers due to autonomy and flexible schedules.

Cashless commerce is growing. To reduce person-to-person contact, businesses of all kinds are discouraging or completely eliminating cash payment options in favor of card or digital payments. “Ongoing shifts toward e-commerce, digital payments (including contactless), instant payments and cash displacement have all been significantly boosted in the past six months,” confirms an October McKinsey report. In one example, the raw volume of invoices sent on Invoice2go, which saw more than $24 billion in invoicing volume in 2019, has risen from 58 million to 78 million invoices sent per month — a boost of about 30%. As consumers seek efficiency and convenience, Invoice2go also has seen a 50% boost in digital payments via its payment platform — a crucial assist to help small businesses stay competitive.

Demand is up for digital tools. As small businesses lean more on online business functions and/or e-commerce during social isolation, they’re calling for leading-edge tools that can help them navigate the logistics. Women-owned businesses are often primary customers for financial management tools — studies show they’re 43% more likely than male business owners to be concerned that limited access to funds could hurt their businesses. Around 43% of U.S. small businesses plan to expand their businesses through digital and related technology as a response to COVID-19, according to the Verizon Business Survey. In fact, 30% of these businesses have already added ways to deliver products and services digitally. To meet this demand, Invoice2go has recently added “Reviews” and “Profiles” features — prompting a star-based review after each transaction and enabling creation of an auto-generated website to help small businesses get discovered and build credibility. This is especially crucial for solopreneurs (37% of the platform’s users), who can’t always devote valuable time for customer follow-up and encourage the word-of-mouth that generates future business.

Businesses are diversifying. Many small businesses have devised new offerings as previous income streams dwindled. For example, hotels are now offering day-rate rooms for people who need to work remotely, distilleries are producing hand sanitizer in addition to spirits and restaurants are offering better, easier take-out options. “Difficult times often lead to changes in the way the world operates,” says Wade Thomas in Forbes. His advice to business owners is, “Develop products and services that not only solve today’s challenges, but will also thrive in the new, post-difficult-times world.”

Virtual experiences are expanding. Companies have transformed in-person events into digital experiences. From virtual happy hours, to podcast product releases, to YouTube customers videos, everything is going online. “The real opportunity is to somehow provide the experience and connectivity of former live events to a virtual one that actually can sustain itself over time, even after the end of the pandemic,” explains Bernhard Schroeder in Forbes.

Need a suite of effective digital tools that will help you run your small business smoothly and efficiently? Invoice2go offers user-friendly products that can streamline your day-to-day workflow so you can focus on your business. Functions include estimates, expenses, invoices, payments, appointments, ratings and reviews. It’s going above and beyond for passionate small business owners and freelancers looking to improve and streamline processes in the new year. Learn more at Invoice2go.com.

How Your Business Can Survive The Coronavirus

Posted on by Franchise Strategist

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and government officials emphasizing “social distancing and mandatory nonessential business closures,” technology such as live video conferencing, chat boxes, and email will be the basis for millions of Americans for their jobs

How Your Business Can Survive The Coronavirus
By (NewsUSA) – As the world has hit the metaphorical panic button during the rise of Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases worldwide, the daily reality for people and businesses is rapidly changing.

Practically overnight, businesses have been forced out of the comfort zone of face-to-face contact, now having to heavily rely on digital platforms. Businesses, especially, are struggling with figuring out how to survive by using digital communication techniques.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and government officials emphasizing “social distancing and mandatory nonessential business closures,” technology such as live video conferencing, chat boxes, and email will be the basis for millions of Americans for their jobs, schooling, and everyday communication. So, with so many players in the game, how can businesses continue to function successfully?

Higher Images, a 20-year-old full-service digital marketing agency located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is helping organizations, businesses, and the community re-imagine what their lives and work-life will look like through web-based technology and mobile devices.

President and CEO of Higher Images, Bryan Thornberg, says, “Rather than going into crisis mode, businesses should take this as an opportunity to expand their knowledge and reach. With many more people relying on digital communication, this is an ideal opportunity for businesses to break boundaries and try new techniques when connecting with clients.”

Thornberg and his team want to help people not just survive this crisis but to thrive during it and come out with an organization and business model stronger than ever.

Thornberg has already been able to impact his clients by thinking outside the box and recommending the usage of technology such as live feeds and Facetime.

For example, a hot tub distributor – a business that relies on their retail location for sales – took the recommendation of Thornberg and is now offering live video conferencing for customers to do live demonstrations of products and make purchases.

Higher Images also urges businesses to utilize their existing websites to drive business: for example, adding a chat-box function to their website for customer communication, allowing organizations to respond to clients in real-time from the convenience of a cell phone or office computer from any location in the world.

With higher internet traffic, this is also a key time for organizations to utilize search engine marketing, Google ads, and mobile in-app advertising technology such as Webtracker, which geo-fences homes to enhance brand visibility. Strategizing with a digital marketing company like Higher Images will provide businesses with the tools they need to succeed.

Visit www.howcanmybusinesssurvivethecoronavirus.com for more information.