What a year 2019 has been for the foodservice industry! We were fortunate enough to travel the country to check out the latest trends, greatest tools, as well as the movers and shakers in the hospitality space. It was a delight to engage in person with others and to get hands-on experience with restaurant innovation. Our Chef, Anne Haerle and Synergy co-founder Dean Small, were invited to share their knowledge and expertise in workshops, specifically on menu innovation techniques and how to increase sales. We want to take this opportunity to share with you our insights from our trips to food shows and restaurant discoveries.

During our trip to the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show in New York and the Healthy Food Expo, we learned about many new products and several tech-driven device demonstrations. Notable robotic devices included the Suzumo automated sushi maker and a very impressive salad-making vending machine called Sally The Robot by Chowbotics. Sally is a robot that vends fresh salads, bowls, and snacks 24/7 in just a 3×3 space.

Eco-friendly packaging and plant-based foods made a consistent splash at the restaurant and foodservice conventions we visited. Zero-plastic straws made from brown rice from Edible Ecoware, as well as spoons you can eat made by Planeteer, were a couple of innovative items we came across. In the beverage space, “CBD-infused” certainly abounded, be it in sparkling water or water-soluble CBD powder that can be mixed into your coffee! More in drink trends: plant-based alternative milk like oat milk, collagen, mushrooms/adaptogen powders and draft lattes. Healthy food in the form of microgreens has been something we’ve seen a lot of this year with an emphasis on how to grow your own in-house.

There were some exceptionally memorable gadgets we found to be unique such as Snow Van’s machine that made a snow dessert out of virtually any liquid. Over at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando, we also checked out technology that printed custom selfies on drinks! At the NRA Show, Dean was especially impressed with Peel-A-Ton from Astra Inc., a machine that quickly and efficiently peels veggies and fruits.

We are excited to see what 2020 has in store for the restaurant industry! Please follow us on social media to keep updated on the latest trends in food and hospitality as we traverse the globe on our culinary discoveries.

We all know a warm smile and courtesy go a long way in the hospitality industry. There’s no underestimating the power of person-centric service. But in today’s day and age, customer service is so much more than training your staff best practices. In the restaurant space, guest satisfaction is dependent on a multitude of things, from the speed of service to quality and taste of food. 

You can have the friendliest and most skilled staff on hand, but if the systems you have in place aren’t up to date with consumer expectations and preferences, you won’t score high on the customer satisfaction scale. Luckily, technology for the restaurant industry exists to help operators increase efficiency and visibility. Let’s look at how modern restaurant tech can assist you with elevating the customer experience.

Mobile-ordering and delivery: Convenience is at their fingertips, literally, when people are able to order food online. You can build an app like Dominos or Burger King, and if that’s not in your budget, you can sign up for third-party delivery services like UberEats, DoorDash, and GrubHub. Make sure to have an area in your restaurant that indicates where to pick up phone and mobile orders, too.

Kiosks: Self-ordering in-storae via kiosks can significantly speed up the ordering process. According to recent research from Tillster, more than 65% of customers said they would visit a restaurant more often if self-service kiosks were available. The benefits not only include shorter wait times but heightened order accuracy, reduced labor costs, more upselling opportunity and of course, improvement of the guest experience. Moe’s Southwest Grill is planning to open all-digital, kiosk only locations in Pittsburgh and Charlottesville, Virginia. Denver restaurant chain, Birdcall, exclusively uses kiosks for ordering at their locations. If kiosks don’t fit your budget, you can offer tablets for table-side ordering—guests will still enjoy a self-service experience.

Loyalty Programs: Sure, punch cards are still around, offering things like one free drink on your 10th purchase. But in 2019 it’s time to time to turn to technology to elevate your loyalty programs and get more people engaged with a great loyalty program to boost customer retention and guest satisfaction. Companies like Upserve, CandyBar and Fivestars offer automated loyalty programs that either connect to a customer’s credit card or phone number, helping to create a more seamless process in rewarding your loyal guests.

Technology will always have a hard time competing with great human customer-service, but when used strategically in conjunction with a well-trained staff, it can greatly enhance your guests’ experience.

 

Last Monday was Earth Day – this worldwide event is to bring awareness of the importance of environmental protection. That awareness also extends to the foodservice industry. On Monday, April 22, 2019 (coinciding with Earth Day) the City of Los Angeles put a new ordinance into effect, aimed at reducing single-use plastic waste. This new law requires that plastic straws be only given upon request in restaurants that have over 26 employees.

This eco-conscious move comes at a time when more and more cities are taking action against the use of single-use plastics. To reduce plastic waste, last year Seattle enacted a ban on not only plastic straws but plastic utensils as well, making compostable/biodegradable alternatives available instead. Restaurateur Danny Meyer recently announced that plastic straws would be eliminated from all U.S. Shake Shack locations, a move that Starbucks plans to achieve globally by 2020.

The trend is clear—foodservice companies are getting more environmentally friendly (either by force or choice) amidst the increased global concern over plastic waste. So what kind of alternatives are available to help restaurants comply with new laws against plastics? What are compostable straws made of and what do they look like? What are the costs?

Surprisingly, there are already many straws made from alternate, more eco-friendly materials. Innovation in this area is booming! Currently available are straws made of bamboo, paper, hay silicone, glass, steel, corn plastic, and even pasta! For the most economical value, a restaurant would likely opt for biodegradable paper straws which cost an average of about 5 cents a piece, which is double the cost of traditional plastic straws. It is easy to find non-plastic straw alternatives available in bulk from your usual restaurant product supplier or popular online sites like Amazon.

When visiting the Culinary Institute of America for a Fellows Event, I experienced a cooking technology that impressed me.

A company called Vorwerk showcased their product, Thermomix—a hugely popular product overseas. Thermomix is an amazing piece of equipment, often found in the best restaurants in the world. I was amazed at its capabilities. So what is it exactly? It is an all-in-one kitchen appliance (for home chefs and professional chefs) that is essentially a high-tech, smart blender that can cook food at controlled temperatures with extraordinary features like a built-in digital scale. It can mince, grate, juice, blend, heat, steam, whip, mill, chop, and stir food.  Moreover, it can make ice cream, sorbet and do Sous Vide!  While I don’t impress easily, I will tell you that this is an amazing piece of equipment that can take your food to the next level.

 

There’s another creative feature I found to be quite handy as well. The Thermomix can load up tens of thousands of recipes from all over the world to the device via WiFi. I am certainly excited to try out this device in the Synergy Test Kitchen soon.

If you believe AI (artificial intelligence) is limited to just the tech and health sectors, think again! AI has made its mark in the hospitality industry in major ways. Case in point: TGI Fridays—the popular, 53-year-old franchise has recently reported a doubling of sales in its off-premise business in the past year, driven by AI in its marketing model, according to Sherif Mityas, TGI Fridays’ Chief Experience Officer. The “off-premise business” referred to includes activities such as customers ordering food through the TGI Friday’s bot via Instant/Direct Messaging. The company’s AI machineLearning bot works across multiple platforms (think Facebook, Twitter, and Alexa) to present customized experiences and offerings to consumers.  More about TGI Friday’s AI can ­be found here.

Synergy Restaurant Consultants reached out to its community in the hospitality space and asked what technology has been helpful in streamlining and improving operations as well as cost efficiency.

Some insightful feedback was noted:

“OLO which is Online Ordering has helped increase takeout sales by 15%. LSR which is Long Range Systems has improved our service and sped up our thru-put by a minute. Also CTUIT (I would add what this acronym stands for) reporting software has been very helpful with reviewing trends and with labor management.”

Another comment highlighted using AI.

“Artificial intelligence using through KOT (Kitchen Order Ticket) Analysis report for managing steward, feedback for every customer…”

If you need help incorporating restaurant technology that will help increase restaurant sales, please contact us.

Milan is often regarded as the fashion capital of the world. However, every two years, professionals in the hospitality industry flock here to preview innovations in food and beverage. While attending the 2017 HOST show in Milan, Danny and I were able to check out the latest and greatest in restaurant technology and also traverse our way throughout Italy feasting our taste buds in delight.

 

Here at Synergy, we like to call ourselves the “pizza experts,” but that doesn’t mean we aren’t open to different methods of pie-making! To be successful means to have an open mind to new ideas and innovations. This brings me to our exploration of pizza oven technology at the HOST show.

 

Sure, we all know that a delicious crust typically comes out of a wood-fired oven, but… I had an amazing pizza that actually came out of an electric oven! The crust turned out beautifully and of course, the flavor was spot-on. In the spirit of good eats and ideas, I wanted to share all that you need to create a young, non-aged dough that delivers a great tasting and looking pizza.

Ingredients:

• Double O flour
• Water
• Salt
• Fresh Yeast

And by the way, there is NO sugar or oil required.

The moral of the story today? It’s amazing what is possible when you open your mind to exploring new and innovative ideas!

Thanks to technology, we have a lot more avenues to pursue when it comes to marketing restaurants and connecting with the guests we serve. While conducting extensive research on your restaurant through traditional means, Synergy Restaurant Consultants also uses social media marketing and branding to help bring about a positive rating among consumers.

Name recognition and branding are all part of this though some other key things must take place first before you can tweet your way to success. Beyond Twitter, restaurants that utilize Facebook and Instagram are seeing incredible results by making a tangible connection with the very people they are trying to reach.

Exploring new territory in this regard is crucial to success. Millennials are driving the market when it comes to both flavors and marketing. For example, we’re seeing a surge in offerings that straddle the lines of cuisine. In our global world, tacos are just fine but Korean tacos are much more interesting to consumers. A burger is always welcome but with feisty toppings like wasabi flakes and salmon roe, it becomes something altogether new and divine.

 

 

By perfecting your menu and making sure you’re not wasting money on items that don’t sell, you can reach that achievable market and stand out from the other restaurants in your area. By the same token, offering too many choices can make it too confusing for your clientele. Focus is the key here.

 

Once you’ve aligned your operating systems, menu, undergone simplified training and have systems for testing in place, you can start pushing out on social media to drive more consumer interest in your brand. Getting followers, likes and all that goes with social media gives you all the tools you need to make a connection. Existing customers are most reachable, and when you post on your restaurant’s social media page, you can entice them with incentives to make more frequent purchases as well as spend more with each purchase.

 

Email marketing is also bigger than ever now. Most consumers know they can sign up for coupons and exclusive deals by joining a free mailing list. These marketing tools have proven effective for bringing customers back again and again. It’s also a great way to introduce a new menu offering or a special seasonal item.

 

Providing content for your social media adds more perceived value to what you serve up to your customers so keep that in mind with every post you make. Get help with your social media campaigns and let Synergy Restaurant Consultants show you how to turn social media into your best tool.

Visit any favorite froyo shop and you’ll find a similar mode:  walls are lined with a host of flavors, all ready for self-service. Now consider this setup for alcohol. Self-service alcohol? How might that work?

 

Boosting alcohol sales is a crucial goal for many restaurants due to high margins and the potential to increase top-line sales.

Some operators have found that guests just don’t want to wait for a server (or get back in to line) to order a second round of their favorite craft beer, which is what research points to the millennial consumer set seeking.

 

So what’s a restaurant to do? This Nation’s Restaurant News article taps into how companies like Zpizza have reaped sizable sales increases utilizing self-service beer technology. The chain uses the iPourIt system, however there are other technologies available, such as PourMyBeer and DraftServ. The trend is truly catching on—PourMyBeer’s self-service beer walls and beer tables are in use at 200 locations across the nation. Check out how the system works here.

 

If you’re not yet ready to take that leap, please read our article on how you can increase alcohol sales at your restaurant.

According to Pew Research Center, “People looking for information about local restaurants and other businesses say they rely on the internet, especially search engines, ahead of any other source.” It’s a no-brainer: your restaurant should have a web presence.

 

A web presence extends past a standard website (although if you don’t even have one yet, it’s a great place to start!). Search engine optimization (SEO) coupled with social media will immensely help your chances of getting recognized online.

Here are five things to do to get your restaurant in front of your target audience. Because social media goes hand-in-hand with SEO, we’ve included some tips in that area, as well.

 

1)      Get mobile-friendly. Google recently implemented an algorithm update (humorously nicknamed by webmasters as “Mobilegeddon”) to its search criteria for mobile devices. In a nutshell, to get ranked higher on Google on a mobile device search query, such as “barbeque Austin,” the webpages on your site must be designed in a way that suites devices.

2)     Get social. Create and then consistently monitor Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, and even an Instagram page. The more you expose your brand, the greater chance you’ll have of people noticing you and sharing your link on the web (getting links mentioning your brand and pointing to your website is great for SEO) and visiting you in person.

3)     On-page optimization is crucial. Say you have a website with lots of pretty photos. That’s great way to display your delicious food, but you must make sure you also mention in text what kind of food you serve. In your copy, and in the META tags (such as your title tags, image tags), be sure to describe your cuisine, be it Mediterranean, Asian, Italian, Latin or fusion. For even better optimization, include the city or cities where you’re located.

4)     Start blogging and create press releases. These are two ways you can gain content for your site and backlinks: two powerful pieces in the SEO world. Not sure where to start? You can write about special promotions, charity events you’re participating in or new chefs.

5)     Don’t forget to make sure your site is listed on Google My Business so that locals can find you when they search for your business name. Add your address, phone number, hours of operation, website and photos.

Best of luck, and read on for more restaurant insight.

Google photo credit: Anthony Ryan CC by SA 2.0

Almost everyday, we hear  someone talking about Uber, the massively popular ride-sharing company that makes it a breeze to catch a cab. Finding a designated driver has never been faster or easier thanks to the Uber app, and now, with UberEATS, finding a fast meal is as simple as finding a ride.

Uber began its food delivery service in Chicago and New York City, but has since expanded to Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington D.C. and Barcelona. UberEATS’s promise? During operating hours, a preselected meal, prepared by a local restaurant, will arrive at your location in 10 minutes.

With this in mind, meal options aren’t as varied as on GrubHub or Eat24, but the 10-minute promise is perfect for those looking for a quick refuel. Uber Eats curates a special weekly menu of featured dishes from local eateries for brunch, lunch and dinner focusing on the “best local flavors.”

Similar apps named like Grubhub, Eat24 and DoorDash also provide Uber-style food delivery from local restaurants.

Food delivery is fast-growing trend in the restaurant industry. Many restaurants including Chipotle, BK, Taco Bell, Starbucks and Panera are testing delivery.  It’s a great way to generate new revenue streams without adding to your restaurant’s footprint.

To find out if delivery is a feasible option for your restaurant, contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants.