If you’re a business owner or restaurant manager searching for ways to improve your eatery, you’ve come to the right place. There are many benefits of self service technology that can take a restaurant to the next level.

From self ordering kiosks to contactless payments, there are many tech solutions that require minimal effort but deliver optimal results. One of the greatest perks of restaurant tech is that it puts standard staff duties on autopilot. Now, many benefits of self service technology streamline customer behavior, too.

Before we dive into eight incredible benefits of self service technology in restaurants, let’s define the term.

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Self Service Technology: What Is It?

Self service technology consists of tools, devices, and software that let’s customers retrieve items independently. One of the best benefits of self service technology is that it gives the consumer more control during the purchasing process. In doing so, businesses are able to be more frugal, efficient, and productive.

8 Benefits of Self Service Technology In Restaurants

There are many advantages of using self service technology in restaurants. If you consider the benefits of self service technology for eateries, it’s safe to say that it helps to cut restaurant expenses and maximize the restaurant profit margin over time. However, it’s crucial that we understand exactly how this occurs.

Read on to learn about eight benefits of self service technology in restaurants. Then, it’ll be time to mix and match different solutions that suit your business.

1. Customers Can Take Their Time

When customers are able to place orders without one of the waiters or waitresses present, they don’t feel any pressure to rush. As they spend more time viewing the menu types, they’re more likely to order additional items.

Consumer data reports show that one of the reasons why online ordering apps are so profitable is because people spend more time weighing their options. So by installing devices like kiosks, businesses have the potential to upsell every order.

2. It’s Time-Efficient

There are only so many tasks that the wait staff can work on at once. By allowing customers to handle their orders independently, the eatery’s employees have more time to tend to more pertinent duties.

In some cases, like with kiosks, customers will have the option to order their food while a staff member prepares it. Since the employees aren’t taking the orders, they can give their undivided attention to the meal preparations.

It’s vital that various types of chefs pay close attention to the food they creare for numerous reasons. For example, there may be some dishes with special requests. Or, perhaps there are some that have to be allergen-friendly. Regardless of the situation, attention to detail can ensure accuracy and safety.

3. It Can Cut the Labor Cost

The labor cost of a restaurant can add up very quickly, even if all you offer is a casual dining experience. Employee wages can cost a small fortune, and the turnover rate can be very high.

Hiring and training new employees is a major expense. By creating a business model where customers can serve themselves, it limits the number of people you need on your team.

By cutting labor expenses, restaurant owners can invest more in other innovative restaurant technology solutions. In the end, it’d be a win-win for the business and the clientele.

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4. Technology Can Easily Become ADA-Compliant

One of the best attributes that a business can offer is abiding by ADA compliance standards. Luckily, two of the most useful benefits of self service technology are audio and visual capabilities.

If consumers aren’t able to communicate their requests to a staff member, technology can be quite valuable. It’s also important to remember that ADA compliance is necessary to legally operate a business. Though not all of the standards relate to ordering food and drinks, it’d certainly help enhance the customer experience for all.

5. Customers Feel More Comfortable

If you’re searching for a way to enhance customer satisfaction at your eatery, find ways to make your visitors feel more comfortable. One of the benefits of self service technology in eateries is that customers can take their time and feel confident about the accuracy of their order.

Another major benefit of self service technology is that the devices typically offer several different payment processing options. So, customers can feel secure about their payment data.

6. It Eliminates the Risk of Lines

A major risk for any eatery is customers leaving to visit a local competitor. Just remember that the main reason why this occurs is because of long wait times.

One of the many benefits of self service technology in eateries is that consumers can order and retrieve food in record time. This means that more orders can enter the POS system in a shorter period. So, once the orders are placed, it’s less likely for customers to leave. Ensure that you’re aware of other customer retention strategies to incentivize returning customers, too.

7. Self Service Devices Can Upsell

In traditional eateries when a server takes an order, they don’t always push other menu items. Fortunately, this is a feature that can be built into self service technology solutions, like kiosks or pay-at-table devices.

Have you ever seen whilst placing an order on a food delivery app, the checkout page will display items that pair well with your order? Other tech solutions can include the same sales tactics.

Upselling and cross selling are some of the best ways to maximize profits. So whether your solutions suggest a drink, or an item from the appetizer list, this tactic will likely result in higher net sales.

8. It’s Ideal for Traveling Customers

When consumers are on-the-go, they want to get food quickly and efficiently. People who are traveling from one place to another might not be up for dine-in service or lengthy wait times.

So, if you’re considering a good location to launch or grow your self service food business, take travelers into consideration. This idea is especially important if you live near an airport, train station, or within a major city like New York or LA.

Contact us for a demo now to see how our off-premise solutions can help grow revenue and earnings of restaurants.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Benefits of Self Service Technology In Restaurants

As you learn about the many benefits of self service technology, you’ll find that such solutions can solve many problems. However, not every issue will arise within your business. This means that the benefits of self service technology for one restaurant might differ from another.

We encourage every business owner to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their eatery prior to onboarding innovative solutions. Then, it’ll be much clearer as to which benefits of self service technology to focus on.

Want a recap on the importance and benefits of self service technology? Read on to learn more!

What Are the Benefits of Self Service Technology In Restaurants?

Some of the most popular benefits of self service technology in restaurants are:

• Faster turnarounds
• Accurate orders
• Higher cart values
• Lower labor costs
• Shortens wait times
• Offers ADA-compliant features

How Can Self Service Technology In Restaurants Be Improved?

Self service technology in restaurants can be improved by following these steps:

• Solve any mobile connectivity issues
• Set up the proper knowledge base
• Ensure that audio and visual features sync
• Allow a variety of payment methods
• Show if an item is out of stock

Why Is Self Service Technology Important?

Self service technology is important because it allows people to customize their own experience. Plus, self service technology in restaurants also promotes speed and efficiency, while cutting down wait times.

What Is Self Service In a Restaurant?

Self service in a restaurant means that customers retrieve their food themselves, rather than from the restaurant staff. Popular examples of self service food businesses include kiosks and buffets.

What Are the Benefits of Self Service Kiosks?

Some of the greatest benefits of self service technology, such as kiosks, include:

• Restaurants can go contactless
• Kiosks can offer voice ordering for restaurants
• Kiosks can streamline the customer experience
• Kiosks speed up the customer turnover rate
• Kiosks can include mobile integrations
• Kiosks can help upsell each order at checkout