The restaurant industry continues to be a key element of most of our social lives. Society needs good food.

If restaurant owners want to expand or build something new, it’s possible. As experts in restaurant tech, we’ve seen it done before.

We’ve compiled our list of the five things any restaurant can do to help them turn their restaurant into a world-renowned brand:

Invest in specific technologies (see ideas below)
Focus on hospitality and respect
Provide an experience for customers
Offer free internet
Release hot new food items (see ideas below)

Let’s talk about each one in-depth

Secret #1: Invest in Specific Technology

Technology can help your restaurant in a number of ways, from back-end management to front-of-house customer service.

When we say "technology," we mean more than just a POS system. Sure, a POS is important, but what else can you use? Tech can be messy. So you need to be careful what you purchase.

Invest in technology and systems that make your job easier and customers happy. Here are a few you should consider:

Mobile/online ordering
Guest wifi
Loyalty programs
Digital signage
Digital kitchen boards
Contactless payment systems

Adding tech to your restaurant helps twofold: (1) It should help your team operate faster and with fewer errors and (2) it should give diners a self-driven experience.

Humans will never fully be replaced by technology, you can believe that. But it can support our efforts to work with greater confidence.

Digital signage and kitchen boards are two examples of how you can improve your team's operations. Digital signage is fast to update and your staff will make fewer menu edits. With kitchen boards, you can help your cooks keep track of tickets and avoid letting anything fall through the cracks.

Loyalty programs, online ordering, and contactless payments help diners remain in control. Self-service ordering is not only more efficient, but it's becoming the customer's preferred method of ordering. 60% of U.S. consumers order delivery or takeout once a week. That number might stay high or might weaken; however, we know one thing for sure: customers will be ordering from their mobile devices more and more.

Guest wifi is a big one. Offering free wifi is a way to show you're invested in providing a good experience for your customers. They can stay connected while they wait or dine. Plus, you can capture email addresses for future marketing efforts.

With Science_Guest, you can forget about complex, expensive, proprietary guest wifi hotspot systems that hijack your guest data. Use your wifi access points to become powerful marketing collection tools for you and collect emails for future promotions. Direct guests to a branded landing page and integrate real-time with your favorite email marketing platforms. Click here to request a demo of our guest wifi services.

Secret #2: Focus on Hospitality and Respect

People come to your restaurant for the food, sure. But they also come for the experience. As a restaurant owner, you have the opportunity to give your customers an amazing experience that they won't find anywhere else.

Start by treating your employees with respect. If you want your staff to show hospitality to your customers, you need to show them respect. They are the ones representing you and your brand.

Next, focus on the little things. How can you make the customer's experience better? It could be as simple as a handwritten note with their order or a complimentary dessert at the end of their meal.

One restaurant that does this well is The Daily, a restaurant in New York City. They focus on healthy, organic food. But what really sets them apart is the experience. When you walk in, you're greeted by name. Your order is remembered from previous visits. And the staff makes an effort to get to know you.

Maybe it's installing an air purifier to help with allergies or offering vegan options for those with dietary restrictions.

Remember, it's the little things that make a big difference.

Secret #3: Provide a Legit Experience

When we say "provide an experience," we mean more than just good food and service. Yes, those are important, but you need to give your customers something they can't get anywhere else.

Think about what makes your restaurant unique. Are you the only one in town serving a certain type of cuisine? Do you have a historic building or an incredible view?

At Chicago's Alinea, that means 15+ courses of boundary-pushing modernist cuisine.

Drifters Wife in Portland, Maine offers an ever-changing menu based on what's locally available.

Both of these restaurants provide a legit experience that you can't find anywhere else.

Maybe you hang a disco ball in your bar or have a live band on Fridays. Whatever it is, make sure it's something that will really wow your guests.

Secret #4: Offer Free Internet

I know, I know. It seems silly. But offering free wifi is a great way to show you're invested in providing a good experience for your customers. They can stay connected while they wait or dine. Plus, you can capture email addresses for future marketing efforts.

Restaurants that offer free guest wifi see their customers spending more time in their establishment and ordering more food and drinks.

And it's not just the coffee shops and fast-casual places that are doing it. Even high-end restaurants like The Breslin in New York City offer free wifi.

With Science_Guest, you can forget about complex, expensive, proprietary guest wifi hotspot systems that hijack your guests’ data. Use your wifi access points to become powerful marketing collection tools for you and collect emails for future promotions. Direct guests to a branded landing page and integrate real-time with your favorite email marketing platforms.

Click here to request a demo of our guest wifi services.

Secret #5: Release Hot New Food Items

This one is pretty simple. People love new things. And they especially love new food items. If you can release a hot new item every few months, you'll keep people coming back for more.

Here are some trendy new food items you might be able to offer for a limited time:

Chicken sandwiches (we all know about the great chicken sandwich wars of 2019)
Plant-based burgers
Ramen dishes
Poke bowls
Avocado toast
Mushrooms
Potato milk

Potato milk is an interesting one. It's a type of milk made from boiled potatoes. And it's said to be sweeter and creamier than regular milk. So, if you're looking for a new twist on an old classic, potato milk might be it.

The key is to release items that are new and exciting, but still fit with your overall brand.

Bonus Secret: Outsource Your Tech

Your time is money. If you or your team spend it on silly tasks like fixing your printer, being on the phone to get your internet back on, or editing menu items, you’re doing it wrong.

Successful restaurants know how to use their time and work efficiently.

A single restaurant can’t always afford to hire a full-time IT person (even a 5 to 10 unit restaurant group), and companies who sell POS software/hardware are not technology partners, they are just vendors. You can’t always go to them to fix any issues that arise.

Finding a company focused exclusively on platform-agnostic, cost-effective tech support is the best bet.

That’s why we exist. Outsource your restaurant tech to us, Science On Call. We guarantee that your restaurant technology tension will be eliminated in 30 days, or you will owe us nothing.

Its 24-hour technical support with one number to call is there for any of your tech issues. Try us out. Call 312.521.0016.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you incorporate any one of these tips, you'll have a higher success rate of turning your restaurant into something the world knows.

Can Science On Call help with your journey? Restaurants are dependent on technology to run their business. So when the internet goes out or your POS system causes issues, it disrupts operations, devours potential revenue, and leaves your customers upset.

We will resolve tech problems fast, free up your time & bandwidth, and keep customers happy.

Click here to book your free discovery call and receive $400 worth of bonus resources and tech.

5 Secrets to Turning Your Restaurant Into a World-Renowned Brand (What Most Owners Forget)