One out of two diners want restaurants to adopt MORE technology, mainly when it comes to ordering and paying.
If there has been a silver lining to the pandemic, it is the burst of technological advancements that the hospitality industry has been yearning and demanding for years. As mentioned in the National Restaurant Association, a full one out of two diners are wanting restaurants to adopt more technology, mainly in the order and payment process.
Online Ordering
Prior to 2020, the independent restaurant space didn’t have as big of a technological footprint as it does now.
As discussed in a Cleveland Scene article, restaurant operators have Covid to thank for ushering in the next big advancements in hospitality technology. Restaurants had to quickly find a way to operate with almost zero face-to-face interaction at the onset of the pandemic. Implementing this however seemed tricky and daunting. Operators who want to leave all those complex technological details and startup expenses to someone else are now able to explore new partnerships with up and coming hospitality tech solutions, like GoTab. GoTab’s seamless features are heavy on online ordering, curbside pick-up, and delivery.
Returning to Dining Rooms
The focus of what a dining experience should be shifted to all things “touchless.” Digital menus, contactless payment options, and cloud based ordering became the new fashion. The popularity of QR codes to pay and order grew extensively.
With GoTab's QR-based online ordering and payment processing, you have the flexibility to adjust your service model based on your guest preferences and staffing levels. Even allowing for easy menu and inventory management.
“While there is a minor learning curve for employees at the outset, the system cuts down on mistakes, mix-ups and omissions between servers and the bar and kitchen. What’s more, the ability of the servers to accept payment anywhere in the restaurant means never having to hand over your credit card [...] Like everything with Covid, the idea of taking and keeping a credit card and then bringing it back, with the guest not knowing where it’s been and who touched it, it almost seems old-fashioned overnight[.]”
The Future of Dining In
At the end of the day, client preferences control how a restaurant will run its business. For example, Butcher and the Brewer, a brewpub in Cleveland Ohio was able to adapt their business model to better serve guests while also keeping things contactless.
Thanks to GoTab, a customer can order a beer from anywhere in the building and receive a notification when it’s ready and waiting at the bar. For those seated at a table, the QR code-based system lets food runners know precisely where to go when it’s ready. Benefits for the restaurant include the ability to serve more people with fewer staff, increase pay (thus retain employees) and operate a more sanitary, cashless business.
“This has vastly improved our ability to get food and drink to you in a quicker time so you can get out the door and head to your event in a timely manner, even when we are short staffed,” says partner Jason Workman.
But how exactly does this system work? Schedule your free demo today to see how GoTab is the solution to your restaurant technology needs.
Tap Room Playbook Episode 2:
When you really think about it, with everything managers need to do in a tap room, the hospitality aspect is often overlooked.
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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