Learn how changing priorities to focus on fixing operational inefficiencies can unlock restaurant growth.
If there’s one question keeping restaurant operators awake, it’s how are we supposed to grow like this?
For many businesses, it can seem like the goal posts for growth are being moved constantly, without warning, and unfairly.
But as innovative brands are proving: it’s not an impossibility, it just requires some shifting priorities.
We recently partnered with KAM – a hospitality-focused consumer research agency – to explore the relationship between restaurant operators and the tech they’re using in our upcoming report The future of POS: 2023 trends in restaurant tech.
It uncovered striking insights into the reality of day-to-day operations for restaurants, the obstacles to growth, and how brands are changing priorities to unblock it.
Join us as we explore these insights, and learn the answers straight from other restaurant operators.
The current priorities for restaurant operators
Unsurprisingly, profitability and growth are top of the list of priorities right now:
64% of operators
reported increasing profitability as a top focus area for their business.
54% of operators
reported that growing customer numbers is a top focus area.
But with the current state of restaurant tech, even operators with a growth mindset soon find themselves dragged off track simply trying to manage day-to-day operations.
What is blocking restaurants from growth?
Whilst working against a constant deficit of time and resources, operators dedicate untold hours to tasks that are crucial to growth.
Updating menu items with new pricing or trialling a new item can be a laborious struggle involving multiple platforms, accounts and human error. Trying to access reporting to make data-backed decisions can be nigh on impossible when faced with multiple locations and accounts.
And when these jobs that should be simple become a time sink, it’s easy to feel like a dog chasing its own tail when it comes to growth.
56% of operators
feel that not having enough time is a significant barrier to business goals.
42% of operators
stated that fragmented data blocks them from making data-backed decisions.
The reality of fragmented restaurant tech
The cause of this time-sink? Overly complex tech stacks.
Tech innovation originally introduced new ways for restaurant brands to innovate and boost efficiency. But these were point solutions, focusing on just one part of the order management process and bolted onto an existing POS.
This has resulted in operators battling with a ‘Frankentech stack’ of integrations. This complex, fragmented web of point solutions has a profound effect on efficiency, operational stability and guest experience – and, as a result, growth.
That’s why simple jobs like updating menus or accessing data can become mammoth tasks.
How restaurant operators are unblocking growth by changing priorities
These point solutions have always been seen as the only way for restaurants to keep up with innovation. This has meant operators continue to rely on them to chase growth, despite the inefficiencies they create that actually make it impossible.
But with the advent of centralised restaurant tech, growth-minded operators now need to adopt a new way of thinking.
Almost 40% of operators recognise that having multiple providers is inefficient, and over 50% report that a lack of time is blocking them from achieving business goals.
And yet only 28% of operators reported that improving efficiency is a top focus area for the business.
This is where changing priorities becomes the key to unlocking growth.
A focus on improving efficiency
We’ve seen forward-thinking brands report exponential growth after rejecting their fragmented tech stack and moving operations to a single order management system.
By fixing these issues causing simple tasks to become mammoth jobs, operators can unblock processes and actually dedicate time to those all-important tasks that enable growth.
Deep Blue – the largest fish and chip chain in the UK – have seen a 30% increase in ATV, with 500 hours saved on menu updates alone by focusing on operational efficiency and simplifying their tech stack with the Vita Mojo Order Management System.
The value of a true partnership
Innovative operators are shifting priorities away from ‘Install & Go’ point solution providers and instead taking advantage of the value that comes from true partnership.
41% of operators
say they would benefit from external support in improving efficiency.
Only 1 in 4
are very satisfied with the tech support they get from their current POS provider.
Want to see restaurant growth in action?
Join the waitlist for a one-on-one guided tour with a restaurant expert to explore how our most innovative clients are using technology to scale operations.
This bespoke site safari includes a personal strategy session to plan growth opportunities for your brand.
