30th July 2021

7 Restaurant Technology Trends To Look Out For This 2021

It has been increasingly evident how the restaurant industry has been so adaptive to innovations in technology and digital solutions. And no, even the COVID-19 pandemic did not stop it from thriving towards turning into tech.

In fact, innovation and technology have been huge key factors to saving restaurants, as they transform towards a contactless era due to the coronavirus. Today, restaurants have been shifting towards:

• Online ordering
• Self-checkouts
• Touchless payments
• Delivery & Pick-up

This 2021, will witness the F&B industry grow through trends and technology improving their operations, service delivery, and even reinventing their industry as a whole.

In this blog, we’ll be sharing with you some of the digital trends and tools restaurants are evolving into to stay on top of their game.

1.      Online Ordering Systems & Delivery Apps

As restaurants remain as an industry vulnerable to restrictions required to follow strict sanitary regulations, contactless home deliveries are becoming a huge trend.

Aside from offering less hassle on the dining experience, this trend allows customers to eat when, where, and what they want in an instant.

Existing third-party delivery food apps such as Foodpanda or UberEats will continue to provide solutions for less in-house ordering and strengthen delivery services.

Hence, expect other restaurants to invest in developing their apps and integrated online platforms to stay more connected to their customers and offer a hassle-free dining experience through deliveries.

2.       Contactless Technology For Payments

One thing you should know about contactless technology is that it isn’t only about putting an order online, as it also means being able to pay fast through the use of a:

• Smartphone
• Smartwatch
• Online application
• Any touchless device

Today, new payment technologies are starting to progressively gain momentum, especially during the pandemic.

Aside from that matter, this technology is extremely important for customers as it makes it easier to purchase food with no cash at hand, resulting in a safer and more hygienic transaction too.

With this, expect more restaurants to plan and invest in a mobile and digital payment strategy to keep up with the trend.

3.        Online Table Reservation System

Booking a table via online technology is becoming of new importance in the food industry.

Aside from making reservations fast and efficiently, it allows customers to have the freedom to see available slots in the restaurant of their choice and make their booking on the go.

This technology isn’t only beneficial for customers as it also brings positive effects on the restaurant itself.

With an online table reservation, restaurants can manage seating arrangements, waiting lists, and even handle dining preferences that can even be useful client data for market insights.

4.         Digital Kitchen Boards

Kitchen staff can finally say goodbye to running back and forth for orders, as Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) are here to save the day.

These digital menu boards can immensely help restaurants streamline operations by automatically displaying orders, or even flagging any dietary requests from customers.

This technology can also help monitor inventory, and signal assigned staff when a product is out of stock. The best thing about this technological solution is how it offers better communication, accuracy, and efficiency to contribute to sustainable kitchen operations.

5.          Automated Inventory Management Softwares

QR codes are slowly gaining popularity around the globe. While living in the “no-touch” era, scanning through barcodes with the use of smartphone cameras makes it easier to access websites, menus, or even payment gateways without having contact.

What’s great about this technology is how it does not require downloading any app.

With just a smartphone’s camera, you’re good to go! QR codes play an essential role in helping restaurants run in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic, as it encourages more contactless transactions.

6.          QR Codes

QR codes are slowly gaining popularity around the globe. While living in the “no-touch” era, scanning through barcodes with the use of smartphone cameras makes it easier to access websites, menus, or even payment gateways without having contact.

What’s great about this technology is how it does not require downloading any app. With just a smartphone’s camera, you’re good to go! QR codes play an essential role in helping restaurants run in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic, as it encourages more contactless transactions.

7.          Air Purifier Technology

While in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, diners would like to feel safe and comfortable in places they dine in.

With this, upgrading sanitation systems with the use of air purification technologies are of utmost importance to guarantee “clean air” for guests.

The use of bipolar ionization which purifies the air and surfaces within indoor spaces has been proven to be harmless to humans. Aside from that, it’s also showing a lot of promising results when it comes to guaranteeing safe spaces for customers.

The Bottomline

Indeed, every crisis has a silver lining. And when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, these 2021 restaurant trends are more than heroes to keep the industry running.

Although presenting drastic changes with the way the F & B industry operates, accelerating digitalization in restaurants has brought opportunities for restaurants to reinvent and reimagine themselves to offer a safe and memorable dining experience to all customers.

What a wonder technology solutions are!