Restaurants can (and have) operated with barely any technology at all — but why should they continue to do so?
In today’s demanding environment, restaurant owners and staff need every edge they can get to stay ahead of the competition.
Fortunately, there are new innovative technology applications that your back-of-house can use to work faster, safer, and more consistently.
1. Digital inventory applications
Taking inventory is a crucial part of keeping a restaurant profitable, but ensuring a proper count is also challenging and time-consuming. But there are now apps and devices that allow you to take appropriate inventory just by scanning bar codes or even speaking into a microphone.
2. Digitized food temperature measurements
Analog food thermometers and rules-of-thumb are a thing of the past. Today’s chefs can now take temperatures by hooking up their mobile phones to Bluetooth thermometers and K-type probes. This process provides the added benefit of automatically alerting you when foods are outside the ideal temperature range.
3. Real-time facility temperature monitoring
Most of the time, a malfunctioning freezer is only known about when someone opens it up. By then, it’s too late, and the entire stock will have to be thrown out.
Modern kitchens can now make use of automated real-time temperature monitoring via Apps and mobile devices. You can get alerts any time storage temperatures fall outside of the desired temperature range.
4. Automated task management
With all the daily and routine tasks that kitchen staff have to perform–often under pressure–it’s inevitable for things to fall through the cracks. But that single mistake could end up causing problems for customers at the front of the house.
Digitizing your kitchen staff’s task list will help them keep better track of their responsibilities, as well as more accurately log which tasks were done and when. Paper checklists can easily be misplaced or damaged, while the digital task list can be safely stored for use in the event of an inspection.
5. Calculated food preparation
One common, costly mistake the back-of-house makes is prepping the wrong amount of food. Prep too much, and you’ve just wasted stock that can’t be put back. Prep too little, and you’re short for the evening and lose a sale. Unfortunately, it can take a long time for staff to get a handle on how much food to prep on a given day.
Fortunately, modern back of house automation solutions can calculate precisely how much food to prep each day. These recommendations are based on historical sales data and inventory levels. No more guesswork!
6. Computerized food recall management
Many food establishment operators learn about food recalls after a customer gets sick. Either they didn’t read (or even know about) the FDA alert or management didn’t get the news to them in time.
Now, restaurant owners and franchisees have access to food recall management solutions. They can promptly be notified of food recall alerts, told what to do in case of a recall, and keep digital records in the event of an audit.
7. Centralized delivery management
There are so many food delivery apps today that staff often have to juggle different devices as mobile orders come in from every direction–and that doesn’t even count telephone orders!
Fortunately, there are restaurant software solutions that can consolidate and centralize delivery requests into a single screen. Work orders can then be printed as sticker labels for easy identification and handling when the delivery driver arrives.
Interested in learning more about how technology can help your back of house improve? Contact us and find out more!