By Naji Haddad
MENA General Manager at Deliverect
Naji Haddad
It’s fair to say the food-service industry has had a turbulent few years and this year was no different. In 2022, operators faced new challenges like increased prices and labor shortages. While consumers returned to in-house dining, the global online food delivery and grocery markets also continued to grow. That’s because today’s consumer has grown used to the convenience of online ordering – and they’re even willing to cut back on other activities to keep enjoying restaurant-quality meals from home.
Why restaurant technology matters
To meet customer expectations and adapt to changing trends, F&B operators must be flexible and agile – nothing new there. But today, restaurants must satisfy consumer demand across multiple channels and touchpoints, giving customers a seamless experience wherever they are and whenever they want it.
That’s where restaurant tech comes in. In today’s golden age of technology, many tech solutions are readily available to improve the restaurant’s resource efficiency, paving the way for that much-needed flexibility and adaptability.
Adopting technology also enables restaurants to run an efficient business across the board because it automates tedious or error-prone processes, streamlines your Back of House (BOH) and Front of House (FOH) operations, and allows business systems to communicate. As a result, technology helps owners achieve their ultimate goal of creating an extraordinary customer experience and making their food-service company as profitable as possible.
Let’s see which technologies will be on the menu next year.
#1 Automation, AI, and robotics
Automation has been around in manufacturing and food processing for some time, but it hasn’t been as important for restaurants.
That’s changing. Operators are looking into automation, robotics, and AI in response to high labor costs, staff shortages, and menu inflation. These technologies automate specific tasks or, at the very least, eliminate a few steps for staff. As a result, they increase efficiency and product consistency, helping them offer better service.
Additionally, the F&B industry is taking to Artificial Intelligence. While you may think AI sounds a bit extreme, some smart kitchen technologies are relatively simple, easy to implement, and already commonly used. Finally, drone food delivery took off this year (literally!), making deliveries faster and less expensive for customers. Undoubtedly, more delivery restaurants will start teaming up with drone companies soon.
(Photos courtesy of TABŪ Restaurant and Peppermill Restaurant.)