The COVID-19 pandemic caused businesses to shift toward digitization. Relying on mobile orders, webpages and other digital solutions saved many restaurants during the bumpy road to recovery. Down to aspects you may not have expected, restaurants have become more reliant on tech: Digital signage is on the rise now too. The push toward online services never stops.
How Digital Signage Got Popular
Before the pandemic, restaurants were ready to improve their menus and displays. Once COVID-19 landed, though, it hurt the restaurant industry particularly badly. Most couldn’t afford the investment it took to switch to screens. They had higher priorities to address.
Now, as we enter the recovery phase (and hopefully stay there), restaurants are looking toward digital signage as a solution again. For starters, they fit well with recovery measures. Choosing to apply digital menu boards, say, behind your counter is an easy contactless solution that replaces physical menus. Since servers don’t have to spend time wiping down reusable ones between guests, they have their time freed up for more important tasks. Right now, during a labor shortage too, workers are stretched thin as it is. Meanwhile, you can easily update prices and items without having to reprint and distribute new menus. Updates go live immediately.
Digital signage isn’t limited to menu boards, though. You’ve likely encountered some at the drive-thru at your favorite QSR. During the pandemic, customers became more reliant on contactless takeout services like drive-thrus and curbside pickup. From advertisements to menu boards to self-service terminals, digitization is reaching every aspect of the restaurant community. Get your business on board with the latest tech and see how it all works together to help you grow.
Photo by Krzysztof Hepner on Unsplash
What’s Next For Digital Signage?
It’s not too late to expand your current digital signage plans. Improve your sales channels and you’ll cultivate a better customer experience. Digital signage works with other tech trends to make ordering simpler and ease your workers’ overburden. For example, voice recognition and other AI technology works alongside other solutions for a contact-free, smooth and effortless ordering experience every time. No matter what trends dominate the industry next, digitization is flexible and designed to grow with your business.
With digital signage, eliminate most paper waste while simultaneously improving order turns and accuracy. The line keeps moving while customers peruse their options, all from a safe distance. As dining in returns, vaccination rules like the ones implemented in New York City will continue to influence the trajectory of recovery. Digital signage works in whatever way your restaurant needs, whether that’s menu boards behind the counter or in the drive-thru lane. If customers need a closer look at the menu, they can still use QR codes to browse and even order right from their phones.
