New technology presents a host of opportunities for pubs and restaurant businesses to improve their casual dining operation. Improved table yield, new insight into customer behaviour from the data you capture, and ultimately higher spend and profitability are just a few examples. But it’s not always plain sailing and, if you’re not careful, you could find the platforms you adopt lead to spiralling monthly costs or a loss of control. Take a look at this week’s infographic, reviewing some of the key challenges for operations and general managers.

1. LOOKING TO INTRODUCE A RESTAURANT BOOKING
SYSTEM? THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPTIONS.
MONEY MONEY MONEY
OPEN ALL AREAS
‘IT’ IS WHERE IT’S AT
BLIND DATA?
BRAND PROTECTION
So before you decide, make sure your potential
supplier shares the same operational and
commercial priorities as your business.
IS THERE A CHARGE PER
COVER/TABLE BOOKED?
IS THE SYSTEM CLOUD-BASED
OR LOCALLY STORED?
HOW CAN YOU LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY
TO BOOST BUSINESS AND PRODUCTIVITY?
WILL THE DATA FROM RESERVATIONS
BELONG TO YOU OR THE SYSTEM PROVIDER?
IS THE PLATFORM WHITE-LABELLED
OR PROVIDER-BRANDED?
The Bottom Line
Here are five
questions to ask:
Reviewing operational challenges for pub and restaurant managers
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1.
3.
2.
4.
5.
? ?
? ?? ?
A typical model for online booking providers might be:
A typical model for online booking providers might be:
IT is what everyone is talking about. Many pub and
restaurant businesses see it as a strategic business issue.
As an illustration, new roles at board level include:
For many pubs and restaurants, the latest cloud-based table booking
Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions can transform their business
by delivering Big Data analysis, identifying operating efficiencies,
reducing costs and driving innovation.
Brand is a vital asset for casual dining businesses. But platforms that are
consumer-facing often brand with their own identity and user journey.
In casual dining, customer service is key brand facet. So, bear in mind:
HOW COULD THIS BUSINESS
MODEL IMPACT ON YOUR
BOTTOM LINE?
HOW COULD THIS BUSINESS
MODEL IMPACT ON YOUR
BOTTOM LINE?
HOW COULD THIS BUSINESS
MODEL IMPACT ON YOUR
BOTTOM LINE?
Are Reservations Recommended?
Get Smart to the New Wave
Big Data and Restaurants: Something to Chew On
Per month for the basic
hardware/software setup
On-Premise
Chief Technology Officer
or
for every table
reservation
Software-as-a-service
Chief Digital Officer
£199 £2
“
“
“Although customers value reservations, restaurants typically
neither charge for them nor impose penalties for failing to keep
them. However, reservations impose costs on firms offering them.”
“Develop a reservation system that reflects and is consistent with your
brand. You work hard to build your brand with your customers and they
will trust own branded sites much more than those of a third party.”
THIS IS BIG BUSINESS
QUESTION:
QUESTION:
QUESTION:
23 IT SYSTEMS
QUESTION:
was the recent big name acquisition by Priceline
£1.65 billion
““Savvy restaurant operators leverage today’s technology
to turn POS and marketing data into actionable
knowledge that can yield positive business results.”
Check that you will own the data,
rather than the tech provider.
Many third-party providers operate on the
basis of “capture and keep” when it comes
to customer information.
29%of 25 to 34 year-olds will post an online review or complain via
social media following a negative experience with a business.
A nation of serial switchers
CTO CDO
TELL THIS TO THE
ONE RESTAURANT
BUSINESS THAT RUNS
HOW COULD THIS BUSINESS
MODEL IMPACT ON YOUR
BOTTOM LINE?
• Pub and restaurant businesses are reaching out to online solutions to
improve operational efficiency
• So they should - there are some great apps and platforms out there
• But not all tech solutions are necessarily right for your business
• Reassess your business model so you can ask the right questions
• The tech you opt for could (and probably will) impact on your bottom line
TAKEAWAYS
HOW COULD THIS BUSINESS
MODEL IMPACT ON YOUR
BOTTOM LINE?
QUESTION:
Entrepreneur.com
““Customer data helps you paint a clear picture of who
your target customer is and how to best communicate
with, advertise and market to them.”