The holiday season is, indeed, the most wonderful time of the year, especially for restaurants. But with proper planning and the right tools, you can transform festive diners into loyal customers. In the hustle and bustle of holiday traffic, however, getting your restaurant to run smoothly often comes down to having the right hardware restaurant in place. From kitchen efficiency to customer-facing technology, here are some actionable tips that will help your establishment thrive during the festive season.
How Smarter Hardware Streamlines Kitchens
A well-working kitchen is the backbone of a very successful restaurant, particularly on holidays. Here's what makes all the difference:
High-performance KDS
An unbreakable KDS is vital during the holiday season, handling orders and ensuring real-time communication between the front-of-the-house and back-of-house teams.
It ensures:
Real-time communication between front-of-house and back-of-house teams.
Reduced order errors during peak hours.
Faster preparation times to handle increased holiday traffic.
Choose a system that is compatible with your restaurant's Point of Sale (POS) software, so it integrates well.
Durable Cooking Equipment for Heavy Use
The holidays are a time when more stress is put on the hardware in your kitchen. Inspect cooking equipment like ovens, fryers, and grills to avoid breakdowns at the most critical times. Durable, high-quality tools will save your restaurant from costly downtime and your chefs will appreciate such an investment.
Enhancing Customer Experience through Front of House Hardware
Now is more about the dining experience, and in holidays especially. So delight your customers with hardware innovations for ease and comfort.
Go Customer Facing Displays
Customer facing displays allow your customers to order faster while making everything transparent and trustworthy. Promote your festive items on the menu or some great offers, and that would attract your diners in.
Move to Pay at the Table Devices
Pay at the table Point of Sale devices help speed up the checkout process. They are very effective in managing large groups, getting guests out of your restaurant with a good feeling, and a bonus of eliminating wait times for other patrons.
Order and Delivery Management
This is the time of year for holiday catering and takeout orders. Your restaurant hardware solutions should be equipped to handle the increase in demand.
Streamline Your Online Order System
Arm your restaurant with an online ordering interface that will integrate directly with your Point of Sale system. This will allow streamlined operations and reduce the opportunity for errors from manual entries. Lastly, do not forget to feature holiday specials and family meal packages highly on your website.
Use Food Delivery Hardware for Smooth Operations
Delivery-specific items such as insulated food bags and dedicated prep stations help keep orders fresh and organized. A good tablet stands or docking station for the delivery app also assists in being efficient.
Motivating Your Team During the Holidays
Happy staff equals happy customers. Arm your staff with tools that make their job easier and reward them for all their hard work.
Mobile Handheld Point of Sale Systems
Provide handheld Point of Sale devices for each server to take orders at the table. This minimizes mistakes and allows them to handle the holiday rushes much better.
Staff Break Rooms and Facilities
While not equipment, a well-stocked break room with comfortable seating, snacks, and holiday cheer can be quite a bonus. Small gestures are beneficial to morale during the busy season.
Preparing for the Unexpected
No matter how well you plan, emergencies can arise. Here's how to stay prepared:
Backup Power Solutions
A power outage during a holiday rush can be disastrous. Invest in a generator or uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system for critical hardware.
Maintain a Spare Hardware Kit
Keep extra hardware on hand, such as receipt printers, card readers, and cables. This ensures quick fixes for unexpected failures.
Tying Up the Holidays With a Bow
The holiday season is upon us, so let's take a little time to review your restaurant strategy with hardware. Now you can serve an unparalleled dining experience while keeping smooth operations with the right equipment and technology. The perfect hardware is your holiday-seasoning buddy whether it happens to be in the back or front-of-house kitchens, or in delivery ops.
Ready to raise the bar on your restaurant's holiday performance? Contact us today at eatOS to learn about hardware solutions built around your needs. Let's make this season a winner!
