How Technology Is Transforming The Fast-Food World

Inductions

Fast-Food World: There is little doubt that technology is playing an increasingly important role in our lives. Regardless of where you look, you see evidence of companies relying on it more and more. This is particularly the case when it comes to the food industry.

The 2023 Tech Investment survey by The Food Institute found that 75% of fast-food operators and restaurants were planning to invest more in new technology. In an environment where profit margins are tight, and finding enough staff is becoming increasingly difficult, working more efficiently is essential. Something that new technology helps fast food restaurants to achieve.

Here are a few practical examples of how that is being done within the sector.

Digital Signage

The introduction of digital signage results in potentially huge savings. Touchscreen versions can be deployed at entrances to enable customers to serve themselves. Reducing staffing levels and speeding up service, making it possible to increase turnover.

Digital signage is also important in tempting customers to buy more on each visit. Firms like Mandoe Media can change what is being displayed very quickly, built into the software they provide. This opens up the chance for fast food outlets to change their offers throughout the day. First thing they can display breakfast deals, then change things up to advertise food deals that are more likely to appeal to the lunchtime crowd.

Highly Targeted Loyalty schemes

Loyalty schemes are highly effective, especially during times of economic hardship. When retailers that used the Antavo loyalty system were asked if their loyalty schemes had helped them to retain customers during Covid 62.1% of them said yes. Fast foods are increasingly using them.

Modern loyalty scheme technology provides business owners with an incredible level of insight into their customers. Insight is being used to create offers and adverts that are tailored to fit in with the needs and tastes of individual customers.

Automating Cooking And Service Processes

Fast-food restaurants are increasingly relying on automation and robots to speed up service. Here are a few examples :

•   Chipotle, White Castle, Wing Zone, and Panera are all using robots to cook some of the items on their menus. Most of them are using the Flippy 2, which after years of development and training is turning out to be an excellent grill cook
•  Several pizza restaurants are experimenting with entirely automating their kitchens. Pizza HQ in New Jersey produces around 4,000 pizzas every week with very little involvement from human chefs. Pazzi Robotics has developed an automatic fast-food pizza production line that is capable of making 80 pizzas an hour.
• The Spotless and Dishcraft systems are both widely deployed in restaurants and fast-food outlets to automatically wash and dry dishes, cutlery, and cookware. They do not even need a human to load and unload them.

Using Apps

Most of the big fast-food chains have been using apps for around a decade. They enable customers to order fast and make it very easy for the owners to send them tailored offers and tempt them to visit more regularly. Now, smaller outlets can also take advantage of this technology. If they do not want to develop their own app, they can easily join services like Just Eat so that people can use their phones to order from them.

The above are just a few examples of how fast-food outlets are using technology to help them stay competitive. More tech is in the pipeline driven largely by the fact that finding enough people who are willing to work in the sector is becoming increasingly challenging.