Use Cases

for Mobile in Restaurants

Mobile has a use in every workflow in a restaurant from customer service to management. But, it's important that solutions are not adopted piecemeal. Done properly, mobile gives you the ability to create holistic technology environments that tie every aspect of the operation together for maximum efficiency and excellent customer experiences.

Digitizing table management and point of sale (POS) is not new in restaurant operations, but when you make it mobile, you free up employees to move and interact with customers wherever they are. That can be taking payments, and if there's a line of people waiting, an employee with an iPad comes to them, which is faster and less frustrating.

Not only can staff see seating charts, but they also know where customers are in their meals. That table status data improves the accuracy of wait time estimates. Waiting customers can also give their phone numbers and get a text message when their table is ready—meaning restaurants don't have to invest or maintain the pagers/buzzers they have in the past.

Automation also alerts the bussing team when guests leave so tables are cleared faster. It all means there are no vacant tables when people are waiting, which improves the customer experience.

When servers have mobile devices like iPhone or iPad, menus update if inventory changes and order information input is more accurate. Because menus are more dynamic, servers can prompt food and drink pairings and show pictures of dishes, which helps them upsell.

Orders are transmitted instantly back to the kitchen, and collaboration apps on devices handle any back-and-forth communication and questions. That speeds up table turns because food comes out faster, and orders are always correct, ensuring a good customer experience.

Flexible payment options handled through the server's device—whether that's a credit card or mobile app on the customer's phone—can be handled right at the table, which also speeds up table turns and keeps the customer from having to wait to leave.

Mobile devices also facilitate self-service options—whether that's a kiosk in a QSR setting or on the table in fast casual. Just as when servers have iPads, orders are more accurate, and customers get suggestions for add-ons.

Menus instantly update with availability, specials, and prices. Orders go right in, and food comes out faster. The same device processes payment at the time of the order at a kiosk or as soon as the customer is ready at the table.

With mobile devices that show the status of orders and data from customer and delivery driver devices, employees have the whole picture in BOPIS, curbside, and delivery scenarios. They get proximity alerts when a customer or driver is near and can have the order ready to hand off.

Digital checklists ensure that everything that's supposed to be in an order is, and mobile printers can produce receipts and labels that clearly show which order is in a bag, so the right items go to the right people.

It all adds up to higher efficiency and better accuracy for the best possible customer experience.

Many quick-serve restaurants are leveraging mobile devices and artificial intelligence in their drive-thru operations with excellent results. With mobile devices, employees speak directly to customers in line, which improves order accuracy and does away with the communication challenges caused by traditional drive-thru intercom systems. Customers can pay with a card on a phone app as they place their orders, and their food is ready the second they reach the window.

That increase in speed dramatically affects the number of customers a restaurant can serve and keeps lines short. That's important when an estimated 30 percent of customers will drive off if they think a line is too long. Every second shaved off service time counts towards profits, too. A recent survey found cutting 5 seconds could lead to about $8,200 in gains.

When the whole restaurant runs on digital devices, orders flow straight into the kitchen display system (KDS). It does away with workflows where a server takes down an order on paper and then walks to a fixed computer terminal to enter it—a system that often leads to errors.

Kitchen workers see everything that's in an order and any information they need to ensure that it's produced correctly. They then use a bump bar to move to the next order.

Tying mobile to KDS creates a holistic, unified system for the whole restaurant, which improves efficiency, streamlines workflows, and makes everything simpler.

Through barcode or RFID scanning with mobile devices, restaurant inventory is tracked accurately from the second it arrives on the premises. Managers can see in real time what's in stock and can forecast needs.

Mobile printers improve inventory labeling, and data tracks approaching expiration dates to alert managers, who can use the information in menu planning. Internet of Things (IoT) sensors can even track temperatures.

It all improves strategic planning and food safety.

Familiar mobile devices like iPads accelerate employee education. It means new people can be onboarded faster, and their experience is improved. That reduces turnover and makes managers more productive because they're not stuck leading training sessions. New offerings can be rolled out faster, and compliance and safety are better.

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When managers have mobile devices, they have a 360-degree view of the entire operation wherever they are. If they're at the front of house, they can still see what's going on in the back, and vice versa. They get alerts to inefficiencies and can make adjustments. The data helps them spot customer trends, which helps them optimize staff schedules, inventory plans, menus, and more.

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