Faced with no semiconductor chips for their ordering machines, restaurants pivot away from human servers and toward contact-less ordering. Read more!
Faced with no semiconductor chips for their ordering machines, restaurants pivot away from human servers and toward contact-less ordering
As noted in a recent Washington Post article, more restaurants are turning to new ways of menu ordering. The Arlington, Va., company GoTab offers a platform that allows customers to scan a QR code (QR stands for “quick response”) at their table and a menu pops up on their phones, from which they can order and pay. No ordering from a server or bartender, just a food runner to bring the order.
Embracing the new normal
GoTab’s CEO, Tim McLaughlin, says his company has gotten new business from restaurant groups as other POS companies have equipment back-orders and GoTab circumvents the problem with a simple QR code system, thus minimizing the central role of servers.
GoTab services venues from 80,000-seat racetracks, big breweries, large event spaces, and independent restaurants. Digital menus are becoming much more common than in the past. Half of full-service restaurants nationwide have added digital menus in the last year, and 40% of all food businesses have added a form of contactless payment.
"Servers are great when they’re available, and they’re not, if they’re not."
Tim McLaughlin, CEO of GoTab
Restaurants pivot towards contactless ordering
The public is eager to return to sporting events and enjoy a meal out. But instead of full dining rooms, many restaurants are being forced to cut operating hours or leave tables open. If seats are not being filled multiple times per evening, the financial structure of the restaurant doesn't work.
While leisure and hospitality jobs have increased by 292,000 in May, the industry is down more than 2 million from its pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, worker shortages have hit restaurants particularly hard, people changing careers, dealing with child-care challenges or avoiding such public-facing jobs for health concerns.
Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.
The Situation
Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.
The Solution
Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience
Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.
“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.
“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group
Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.
The Benefits
Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.
Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
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