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Drive more sales to your restaurant business with these innovative ideas

The food and beverage industry is massive, and it is predicted to grow in the next five years, owing to an expansion in the consumer base and rising disposable income. The UAE restaurant industry, on the other hand, has an abundance problem. Several restaurants are fighting for clients, therefore restaurant owners must concentrate on attracting more customers and increasing restaurant sales.

Restaurant sales are rarely consistent, and they are affected by a variety of factors like competition, seasonal swings, and the changing economy.

Here’s a list of creative ideas that may help you to increase restaurant sales:

Introduce a Restaurant Website or Mobile App

Though if you own a non-digital local restaurant, your storefront is no longer the face of your business. The website is the most essential aspect in assessing a restaurant’s reputation, according to 88 % of individuals who go online to research products or services. If your restaurant’s website isn’t up to standard, customers will most likely leave it at a single glance.

Your restaurant’s website or mobile app must have an elegant design, attractive features and it should be properly functional as well with easy navigation. Additionally, keep in mind that most people use their smartphones to conduct research of this nature, whether they’re at home, in the car, at work, or elsewhere – your website must be mobile-friendly.

Prioritize the Upselling

Up selling is a great technique to boost sales and draw attention to your high-profit food items. Getting consumers to purchase your most profitable meal item, as well as enticing them to get a dessert or a side dish, can increase the value of their average ticket.

Train your restaurant staff and employees to provide support to your visitors without going overboard. Your employees can recommend food to your guests, but they must not be forced to order it. Regular clients can have things suggested to them based on their likes and ordering habits. You can use your POS to help you re-sell popular and high-profit items. Waiters and servers can use the Server’s App to take orders from a handheld restaurant ordering system that shows the whole menu as well as the most popular items. CRM connectivity allows your waiters to monitor client ordering history and up sell things based on the preferences of the customer.

Make the Most of Your Restaurant Menu

Your restaurant menu has the ability to dramatically increase restaurant sales if it is designed correctly. Customers will see and order your high-profit and popular items first if you emphasize them. Add enticing menu descriptions that encourage customers to order more, and the restaurant will automatically upsell goods and improve sales.

You should also review and update your restaurant menu on a regular basis to identify and replace problematic products. Adding new items to the menu is a terrific approach to attract clients while also helping to boost sales.

Implement Online Ordering

It’s great to have a beautiful restaurant where people may dine, but having an online ordering option is much better. More people in the UAE are looking for restaurants that deliver because it is more convenient to eat in the privacy of their own homes or workplace! According to a survey, 60 % of UAE customers purchase food through an app.

You must either partner with an established online ordering website or a food delivery app in the UAE, such as Talabat, or permit online ordering through your own website or app. The majority of smartphone users consider online meal delivery applications and websites to be a more convenient approach to satisfying their hunger.

Online ordering broadens your horizons and allows you to reach out to more audiences who may or may not be able to dine at your restaurant.

Boost Your Restaurant’s Online Presence

The worldwide food and beverage business has been thought to be more internet-savvy than ever before in the last two years. If you don’t have an internet presence yet, you’re not on the right track to success. You can build your own website and app (which is expensive, time-consuming, and frequently buggy), or you can join Blink for Restaurants and improve your restaurant’s digital presence.

You will obtain a regular stream of organic orders if you have a branded website that is SEO optimized.

The branded apps are always amazing and worthy, allowing your clients to place orders from your restaurant with a single click of a button.

Marketing Creatively to Attract Customers

Marketing has evolved into an essential component of restaurant operations, and it plays a crucial role in raising restaurant sales.

With more than 70% of UAE residents utilizing the internet, you can’t overlook the value of online marketing in improving your restaurant’s sales. Most individuals, particularly travellers, look for restaurants online before deciding where to eat. As a result, if you want to increase foot traffic to your restaurant, you must focus on online marketing.

Restaurants offer fantastic online opportunities to reach out to potential customers, such as social media marketing and Google My Business listings.

You can also construct audience-specific campaigns based on demographics and behavior by investing in sponsored advertisements on Facebook and Instagram as it’s a trending and highly effective marketing strategy for restaurants. It allows targeting a certain demographic, allowing you to cater to clients depending on their preferences.

Offer Customers to Sample a Dish.

Entice your customers from time to time by offering them a sample dish to taste, this methodology helps you to gain good feedback and more new customers. This is the most successful and cost-effective way to market a restaurant and establish brand recognition. Every public event that attracts your target audience is an opportunity to provide product samples. Choose the best 2-3 dishes from your menu that can be easily transportable, and send out some solid restaurant representatives to meet and greet at the events and also try to offer those dishes to your customers at no cost need.

Prioritize Customer Retention

When compared to a new customer, loyal consumers spend 67% more on average! What, on the other hand, encourages client loyalty? The first step toward customer retention is consistency in food and service quality. Then there’s excellent customer service and demonstrating that you care. In the competitive market of the UAE, however, these have become a requirement rather than a uniqueness.

Customers will return to your restaurant if you have loyalty programs and rewards memberships in place. You can give customers reward points based on how much they spend at your restaurant, which they can use to reduce their total due bill, or you can give them a complimentary item on their next visit.

It’s difficult for people to deny an attractive offer, so this is a terrific approach to keep your clients coming back to your restaurant. Use a POS system to quickly integrate and manage your loyalty program across all of your ventures.

Organize Events

Restaurant owners in the UAE often offer special events around major holidays such as Eid to boost sales, but festivals aren’t the only time you can host events.

You may organize special events such as a “Curry Festival”, “Desserts Fest” etc, where you make several varieties of curries or delightful desserts from across the world and invite people to taste them.

These types of events are a terrific way to get more customers into your business and boost revenue. You can plan unique events based on the audience you want to reach.

Above anything, don’t forget to let people know about the events. Send out emails, SMS messages, and make social media posts about it. This will broaden the audience and raise awareness of the event. This is one of the most effective restaurant marketing techniques.

Introduce Attractive Rewards

Offering discounts is the best method of increasing restaurant sales. Special offers and discounts, maybe rendered meaningless unless they are properly strategized. Instead of providing a blanket discount to all of your customers, you can create personalized incentives to entice customers to order from your restaurant again. Consider the case of a customer who hasn’t visited your restaurant in a month. You can offer your regular customers, a 10% to 20% discount on their most often ordered item. Through a clever integrated Marketing Module, you can effortlessly extract this data from your POS and perform unique offers and discount promotions.

Summing up

We anticipate that the restaurant industry will make even more progress by the end of this year. Restaurants must increase their internet sales while also fine-tuning their restaurant management capabilities since a positive bottom line is crucial for all entrepreneurs. We hope that after reading this blog post, you will have a better understanding of How to Increase Restaurant Sales Online and Beyond.

If are in a way to integrate your restaurant with a well-developed POS software system, then you should proceed with our multifunctional retro POS system. Get in touch with us any time for its quick implementation and further discussion to know about our ERP inbuilt restaurant growth software system.

By alpana j 0 Comments
Kitchen Display system

How Kitchen Display Systems Can Transform Restaurant Business?

You are planning to establish a restaurant empire. We have to discuss the proper use of technology of restaurant kitchen order display from ordering food to the payment integration work. It is crucial to consider the frontend and the backend operations in a restaurant. A kitchen order display system is the engineering room of your business. Therefore, it becomes essential to establish a proper communication system to increase the productivity levels in the busy kitchens. It will reduce the mistakes and improve the service quality too.

Why Should You Implement the KDS in Your Restaurant?

The Kitchen Display System is popularly known as KDS. Moreover, it is an online kitchen order system in restaurants. A monitor display system is present in the kitchen area. The POS system software is useful to display all the orders preparation that have been placed on the POS system. It is beneficial to implement the KDS system in your restaurant that acts as a mediator between the customers and the waiting staff serving the order to the customers waiting for their food. It is essential to keep the pos system in the restaurants to allow smooth functioning.

The Benefits of A Restaurant Kitchen Display System

Now, you know why it is essential to implement the kitchen order display system in restaurants. Then, we will discuss the benefits of the kitchen display system software. It will help you to understand in a better way the importance of the KDS POS system.

  • Cost-effective: The requirement is a one-time investment in the kitchen display system. It will work with any LED attached with PC/Laptop or Smart TV Screen. It is cheaper in paper-based KOTs. Therefore, it is an effective initiative for environmental protection and reducing paper use.

 

  • No order missing: The restaurant kitchens are often messy and chaotic. However, the handwritten orders may misplace. It can create confusion in presenting the orders to the customers. The restaurant owners can eliminate the confusion issues with the help of the online kitchen order management system. All the details of the order requirements of the particular customer will be available on the kitchen display system.

 

  • No delay in taking the order from customers: Soon, you enter the restaurant kitchen system; it shows the display of the orders in the kitchen. There is no delay from the restaurant staff side in placing the orders. It reduces the time gap in taking orders and then placing the orders to the customers.

 

  • An integrated system of online ordering: A KDS system automatically sorts the orders and then sends the entire requirement to the chef available in the restaurant kitchen to prepare the meals for the customers. There are multi stations in the restaurant for preparing starters, the main course and the dessert. In that case, the KDS system automatically sends the requirement to the particular section of the kitchen only.

 

  • KDS POS system streamlined the operation in the kitchen: All the orders have been punched directly on the pos kitchen display. Therefore, it improves the communication system between the staff members working in the chaotic environment of the kitchen. This system is a boon in the multi-kitchen restaurant that it is most important to have the proper communication system for coordinating with the team members and dealing with the customers.

 

  • Track the business performance through pos kitchen display system: Integrated Kitchen POS system is useful to track the performance of your business. It helps you to analyze your business and then take some effective actions for improving the business performance. The kitchen Displays System is becoming vital for the effective functioning of the restaurant business.

 

How Kitchen Display Systems Improve Efficiency and Reduce Costs in Restaurants

You are looking for options to reduce costs and improve the productivity of your restaurant. You can consider making a one-time investment in the POS with Kitchen Display System (KDS). It will improve the restaurant efficiency by displaying the order information properly to the backend staff. The KDS systems are becoming extremely popular in modern restaurant structures to give customers prompt and quality services. KDS system is the cloud-based POS technology that works remotely.

The complete information about the customer orders appears on the display system to the backend staff in the restaurant. They do the meal preparation and present it to the customer on time. Therefore, it reduces the issues of delayed orders due to mismanagement and confusion. There is a chaotic situation in the backend area. It is essential to keep a proper system of KDS online to ensure proper services are delivered to the customers.

Online POS with KDS is beneficial to reduce the paper use and cuts the cost. It will conserve and protect the environment, as there is limited paper use in restaurants. There are twin benefits of the KDS system, i.e. cost reduction, environmental protection and improved efficiency.

 

By alpana j 0 Comments
Cloud-Kitchen smb solutions

What is Cloud Kitchen and How Does it Work?

The food industry has gone through a lot of changes in the past few years, thanks to the rapid growth in technology, ever-rising startup cost, and a global pandemic. Restaurants, eateries, cafes, hotels, and other hospitality sectors are looking to implement new ways to serve their customers while keeping the business afloat. Most of these steps are aimed at providing convenience and making food easily accessible to everyone. 

Online food ordering has already taken its roots in the society and the indefinite era of the pandemic only served to make it more viable. In such scenarios, the food industry has come up with a new concept, or rather a new development on an old concept which has come to be known as Cloud Kitchen.

A cloud kitchen, also referred to as ghost kitchen or virtual kitchen, is a commercial facility that is specifically used to prepare food for deliveries and takeouts. The entire model of the ghost kitchen is based on a delivery-only service, which provides ghost kitchens with a few advantages over traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants doing deliveries. 

How does a Cloud Kitchen Work?

Now that we have cleared that a cloud kitchen is essentially a delivery-only restaurant that does not have any physical space to offer dine-in service. The restaurant relies entirely on online orders placed through the restaurant’s website/app or a food aggregator.

The cloud kitchen model also allows restaurants to launch more than one brand using the same kitchen premises. For instance, a restaurant that employs a delivery-only kitchen to deliver Asian food can use the same kitchen to deliver mexican food. But instead of incorporating the Mexican food in the same brand, it can launch another brand entirely for Mexican food only. 

Most often than not, cloud kitchens are situated in outskirts, industrial areas and offer driver parking, driver waiting areas, and check-in stations to allow seamless driver pick-up. The most important aspect of cloud kitchen is the technology that goes behind it. These facilities use large amounts of data to determine what types of food are in demand in specific locations and employ popular delivery apps to make deliveries.

Taking orders in a Cloud Kitchen

Most of the orders for a cloud kitchen restaurant come from online, which makes a POS mandatory for these particular models of restaurants. A cloud kitchen restaurant can take orders from multiple platforms including food aggregator’s apps, website/app, and telephone. 

Getting orders from different platforms makes order management a daunting task, which is why a POS is required for a cloud kitchen restaurant. A proper POS in place makes it easier to handle orders and maintain a consistent delivery process.

Moreover, POS is also essential for cloud kitchen restaurants that deliver food under multiple brands so the detailed insights and data about numbers of orders received for each brand remains in place and accessible.

Order Processing in a Cloud Kitchen

In terms of order processing, cloud kitchen restaurants work similarly to any other restaurant. Nevertheless, when multiple brands are operated under one cloud kitchen, it is imperative to watch out that the distinct taste of each brand is maintained. Most cloud kitchens employ various cooks in order to make sure the unique taste for each brand is maintained. 

Once again, a proper POS system in place can help smoothen the order processing procedure. A POS system reflects orders directly to the kitchen screen as soon as an order is accepted on the website or app. Once the order is prepared, the kitchen staff can mark it ‘done’ on the kitchen display and the packaging process is cued in. The packaging staff packs the items and sends it to the delivery station while the POS records each of these steps to help you analyse and optimise the order processing time and procedure.

Managing Staff in a Cloud Kitchen

A cloud kitchen restaurant does not have any physical premise to let people dine-in, which means such facilities do not require much in terms of staff. However, the lack of wait staff has to be reciprocated with excellent kitchen staff as the taste the restaurant offers will be one of its main selling points. 

Most cloud kitchens hire different chefs to handle each brand they are operating under the roof. Besides kitchen staff, delivery executives are needed, if the restaurant relies on an in-house ordering system. 

Managing Inventory and Suppliers in Cloud Kitchen

Finalizing and maintaining suppliers in a cloud kitchen is similar to the regular, commercial restaurant kitchen. Restaurants operating various brands with the same basic ingredient requirement under one cloud kitchen can order basic ingredients from the same supplier and different ingredients from various suppliers.

If the supplier provides a diverse range of ingredients, all the brands’ essentials can be supplied from one source. Before finalizing a supplier, it is advised to create a list of ingredients that the brands require and try to order most of them from one place. It will help you keep track of the suppliers and inventory.

In terms of inventory management, most cloud kitchens use a smart POS to conveniently control various aspects of inventory and stock. A POS allows cloud kitchens to manage daily consumption and different brand requirements from a single screen. 

Marketing a Cloud Kitchen

The marketing needs of cloud kitchens are very different than that of regular restaurants, given that the former does not have any physical outlet. Without a premise where customers can walk in to dine, the need for powerful social marketing and branding arises. As a cloud kitchen owner, you need to be able to do online marketing using social media platforms, SMS and email marketing, brochures and flyers, and integrating third-party delivery apps, and tying up with complimentary restaurants. 

Proper use of technology and is essential for a cloud kitchen to thrive so make sure you are making the best use of the technology at-hand including POS, social media platforms, mobile marketing, and properly targeting your audience. 

By alpana j 0 Comments

Benefits of In-House Online Food Ordering System for Restaurants and Cafe

The convenience of being able to order food online, from the comfort of our homes is undeniable. Even before the pandemic struck and forced us to resort to our homes and tend to our works through the internet, the concept of taking most of our day to day tasks online was commended by everyone. The onset of the pandemic only solidified its existence.

Nowadays, the online ordering system is the backbone for most restaurants, which makes for an argument for the benefits of in-house online ordering systems. An in-house ordering system is when restaurants use their own online ordering software to process orders instead of relying on third-party aggregators. An in-house ordering system gives the restaurant full control over the entire ordering and delivery process.

Online food ordering is here to stay, which means it makes sense for restaurants to invest in an in-house ordering system and integrate it with their POS to streamline the entire process.

Here are a 5 reasons why having an in-house ordering system is better for your restaurant than relying on third-party platforms:

Online Ordering Drives More revenue To Restaurants

With online ordering, users are able to linger on the menu for as long as they want without having to worry about being hurried up by the person behind them. This independence allows them to take their time, explore all the menu options comfortably, and choose the best item according to them.

Being able to explore the menu with ease also increases the probability of customers adding extra items to their orders. Not to mention, online ordering systems are more accessible to a large number of people and the average order value of online orders are higher compared to orders done in stores, making online ordering more profitable.

Customization On The Go

Unlike delivery aggregator’s apps, having an in-house ordering system allows you to make adjustments on the go. Whether you are running low on an item or going through a rush period or not delivering to a particular area, you can update the information on your menu, add images of food you are offering, and create daily specials quickly and easily.

More Accurate Food Orders

Online ordering reduces the chances of mistakes and errors that are often prevalent with phone and in-person orders. First and foremost advantage of online ordering is that it gives the customer greater control over their choices. With more control, customers have more clarity and understanding about what they are going to order. Online ordering systems are also detailed with the menu and its consisting items so customers remain aware of exactly what they are ordering and what does the item contain. This convenience allows for better and more accurate order placing process, saving the customers as well as the restaurant from making any mistake regarding the order.

Improved Data Insight

One of the reasons Domino’s relies on an in-house ordering system is because of the important insight they get into their customers’ data. Third-party software don’t provide restaurants with complete access to customer data, making it difficult for them to do more personalized campaigns and marketing. With the ordering system incorporated in the restaurant’s POS, important customer data such as address, phone number, and order history is stored directly into the system. This allows restaurants to launch loyalty programs and gift vouchers for their loyal customers.

Customer data also allows restaurants to better understand their customers, understand what they like and dislike, get information on frequently purchased items, and watch out for their behavior to be able to provide better service.

Fast and Standardized Food Delivery Experience

Food delivery aggregators handle multiple restaurants at the same time, which often results in them not being able to conduct order taking and delivery processes in time. More often that not, these third-party service providers also fail to maintain hygiene and sophistication the likes of which are expected by your restaurant, which could potentially tarnish the restaurant’s reputation. With an in-house ordering system, restaurants can rest assured that their customers get their delivery on time and according to the restaurant’s standards.

No service fee

Most third-party aggregators charge a large sum of commission for each placed order, which can be revenue draining for restaurants. Whether it is a flat fee or a percentage of every order being placed, aggregators commission eat into the restaurant’s revenue and can be extravagant in the long run.

By opting for an in-house ordering system, restaurants can say adios to such financial worries and boost revenues and profit.

Online ordering is here to stay, especially now that we have gone through a pandemic. This means that restaurants need to amp up their services by letting go of third-party reliability and becoming a complete system on their own. As a restaurant owner, you need to make sure that your restaurant is up to date with the latest technologies and trends and is able to serve the customers in the way they have become accustomed to. It is important to let your customers experience the convenience of modern-day technology. By going with an in-house ordering system, you maintain a consistent experience across all channels, maintain the reputation of your brand, and streamline the entire ordering and delivery process.

 

By alpana j 0 Comments
Restaurant COVID-19

How Restaurants Fighting to Stay Alive in COVID-19

Managing a restaurant business and maintaining a prolific revenue out of it is quite a demanding task. The entire restaurant industry is made up of 70% of independent owners and operators, with an average restaurant annual revenue falling somewhere around $1 million and 4-5% operating profit. Not to mention, the need to maintain brand reputation, food quality, customer service, and ambience is a must for any restaurant to thrive. Add to that one of the worst pandemic the world has ever seen and the task of managing a restaurant becomes tenfold more challenging.

Unlike some other sectors where businessmen and entrepreneurs receive government aid in the times of an emergency, restaurant business owners have to address such concerns themselves while keeping the business afloat and the customers connected. 

The first priority for any restaurant owner in times like these has to be the safety of their staff and their customers. Nevertheless, putting appropriate safety measures in place is not enough. You also need to be able to get proactive and inventive in order to keep your restaurant up and running, especially in the current scenario of low to none dine-in business.

In this article, we will share a few tips to help you fight the pandemic and keep your restaurant business vigilant. Let’s take a look:

Take Restaurant Business Online

If you have not brought your business online already, the covid situation has probably come as a sign of times to you. Whether your restaurant premises are closed down or partially operational, with online delivery you will be able to reach all of your customers and that too in a more convenient manner. Set up an online food ordering system and delivery on your website or build an app for it and let your customers know that you are taking orders online and making home deliveries. 

Make sure to practice hygienic food preparation processes and let your customers know that your food is 100% safe. If the pandemic has taken a toll on your staff or is keeping your restaurant from working at its full potential, you can also revamp the menu and sell only the best selling items. Avoid taking orders for items that customers do not order regularly and focus on the ones that are customer favorites. 

Most importantly, inform your customers that you are up and running, can take orders online and make home deliveries. Moreover, you will also have to tell your customers about the safety measures you are taking and how every order is helping you keep the restaurant afloat. 

Make Restaurant a Safe Spot for Eating

The first and foremost thing to do in your fight against the Coronavirus is to keep your restaurant as clean as possible. All the governments around the world have issued various safety measures that restaurants need to follow in order to remain open. Make sure you are following those safety guides. 

Moreover, as additional measures, keep cleaning the surfaces that are most likely to come in contact with customers, staff, delivery persons, or other people. Provide your team with anti-bacterial gloves, masks, and pocket sanitizers. However, don’t just keep your restaurant clean, communicate the cleanliness of your restaurant to your customers as well. 

Leave a hint of disinfectant in the air, make it a habit to clean the tables and chairs every time a customer leaves, put up signage informing customers about your practices of safekeeping and sanitizing. 

If you are not able to keep up with the safety measures, however, consider closing down the premises and continue delivering online.

Equip Drivers With Proper Information

The delivery executives are an extension of your restaurant, which means you are responsible for their safety and protection from the virus. Keep your delivery executives well-informed on the pandemic and its spread. Outline delivery instructions every time a customer places an online order so the executives have the information in their mind all the time. 

Contact-less delivery is the new norm in the online delivery system. Get your delivery executives informed on how they should go on about delivering the orders without coming in contact with the customers. If possible, do a workshop on all the measures that delivery executives should take while delivering the order. 

Again, you will have to highlight the safety measures you have your delivery executives taking through your social media platforms or your website. The key is to let the customers know of whatever steps you are taking to keep the virus at bay and deliver safe and hygienic food. 

If you are doing an in-house delivery system, equip your executives with masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers among other essentials. 

Focus on Your Social Audience

Since the pandemic has most people working from home, not only is an online ordering system necessary for restaurants but so is an interactive social media platform. Moreover, with the business being down than usual, you also get some extra time to invest in your restaurant’s social media platforms and expand its reach. 

Use you social media wisely to let your customers know about how you are taking essential steps to ensure safe food delivery as well as to connect and interact with more customers. Make it a goal to reach a certain number of followers on your socials. Use high-quality photos, proper hashtags, interesting captions, and interactive posts to grow the reach of your socials. 

Once you have reached a certain number of followers, you can use your social media to promote items, inform on the measures you are taking to ward off coronavirus, let your customers know that you care about their health, and engage with customers to take their suggestions and feedback. A well-maintained social media handle will help your restaurant to rise among the peers as a more viable and safer option for eating out or ordering in.

By alpana j 0 Comments
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