Restaurant Operations-The Updated Trends about Restaurant Operations

Technology at the restaurant


1.Tablets are used


Some restaurants start to use tablet replace the order paper or reduce the labour in order part. The customers can look and see everything they want, instead of written descriptions.























In Hong Kong, there are some restaurants using the tablet to replace the order paper.


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2. Mobile payment


Restaurant guests are ready to embrace the idea of mobile payments, according to a Cornell study.


In a survey of nearly 1,300 consumers, paying with their cell phones or tabletop tablets rated higher than the traditional practice of settling bills with a credit credit. Some customers thought that the payment technology would encourage the customers spend more money in the restaurant.


The reason of the customers have enough confident in using this payment technology because Apple Pay promises better security, something on the minds of many consumers following credit card data breaches at Target, Home Depot and other major retailers. Users must register a credit card (and only certain cards are eligible) and read their own fingerprint through the phone’s scanner to authorize purchases, and Apple Pay encrypts each transaction to protect consumers’ personal data.
3.Social Media for Restaurants


Using the Social media to do the advertisement and promotion are much cheaper than the traditional method along with a better way to attract more people's attention.


Traditional methods of advertising, such as TV, radio commercials and newspaper ads can be very expensive and may not reach your target audience. No matter if you are getting ready to open a new restaurant or if you are looking for a way to promote your existing restaurant, there are several ways to advertise on a budget, including taking advantage of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.


estaurant promotions are great because they can run daily or weekly, all year long. They offer the perfect opportunity to show customer appreciation and bring in some extra business at the same time. Restaurant promotions can range for a nightly happy hour to an annual customer appreciation day, with drink and dinner specials. Promotions can be traditional, such as two-for-one dinner specials or out of the ordinary, such as a name-the-microbrew beer contest. Use social networking, such as Facebook and Twitter as a free way to tell customers about your restaurant promotions.




Other trend in Restaurant Operations


Restaurant Food Truck Businesses


he number one hottest operational trend for 2011, according the NRA, is mobile food trucks and pop-up restaurants. A food truck business offers low start-up costs over a brick and mortar restaurant, ideal for someone looking to open their own restaurant.


A food truck is like restaurant on wheels. It has several distinct advantages over a traditional eat-in restaurant. A food truck can go to where the customers are. It has pretty low overhead, compared to a restaurant, and requires far less staff. However a food truck is still a business that requires a lot of work and attention- especially in the first couple of years. Food truck owners put in long days and have similar problems as restaurant owners, such as slow seasons, bad weather, and sluggish economy.


Sustainability and Local Foods


Buying local and growing your own foods peppered the top ten trends of What’s Hot in 2011. Consumers are increasingly aware of where their food is coming from and featuring local foods on your menu is a great way to capitalize on the current trend as well as help out your local farmers. Many restaurants are going beyond buying local to growing their own. Restaurants with gardens (on the rooftop, communal, etc…) was cited by 18% of chefs as the hottest operational trend in 2011.



More and restaurants are turning to their local neighbors for fresh, flavorful foods. Local foods are finding their way to all kinds of different restaurants, from fine diningto casual sandwich shops. Here are ten reasons your restaurant can benefit from buying local foods.


a.) Local foods are fresh. According toLocalHarvest.org, the average commute for fruit and vegetables in the United States is 1500 miles. Yikes! For that reason commercially grown fruit and veggies are engineered to withstand travel over long distances. Local foods travel a fraction of that distance and still maintain their appearance, taste and nutrients, without any bioengineering. And good looking food is a good thing, since customers eat with their eyes first.



b.) Local foods taste better. Anyone with a garden can attest to this fact. Just like homemade bread beats the store bought variety, wholesale vegetables and fruits just don’t compare to local garden goods.


c.) Local foods support local economies. As a restaurant owner, it never hurts to support your local economy. You not only keep your money local, you also foster relationships with other business people in your neighborhood. Never a bad a idea.


d.) Local foods are great for restaurant marketing. Add terms like farm-fresh or locally grown to a menu description and watch the items fly out of the kitchen. I’ve never heard a customer complain about eating food from local farms or gardens. Using local foods can be a major selling point for restaurants.


e.) Local foods let you be creative with your menu. Because local foods are based on the seasons, restaurants need to rotate their menu items, based on availability. And that can be a good thing. What better way to come up with daily specials, than looking at the ingredients at the local farmers market?



f.) Local foods aren’t as expensive as you think. While few small farms can compete with wholesale food distributors for steep discounts, their prices aren’t always that much higher. And when you take in consideration the higher quality of produce, you are really getting more bang for your restaurant food cost buck. Some areas offer Restaurant Supported Agriculture (RSAs) which are similar to a CSA (community supported agriculture) offering buying discounts and other tangible benefits for restaurants.


g.) Local foods don’t stop with fruits and vegetables. Long after the growing season is finished you can still find plenty of local foods to add to your restaurant menu. Poultry, beef and pork are available year round, as is honey and dairy products. Even baked goods, like breads and desserts, can be showcased as local foods.


h.) Local foods protect the environment. Tree hugging aside, local foods are generally easier on the environment than large-scale farms. They use less energy for harvesting and transportation and many small farms are organic (but not all) and don’t use pesticides, hormones or other chemicals. Buying local foods is just one way that restaurants can go green.


i.) Local foods preserve the countryside. Small farms, once a trademark of the United States, are a dying breed. Too many farmers are forced out of farming and their fields are chopped up into housing subdivisions or strip malls. Supporting local farmers helps keep them in business, which in turns keeps the countryside intact, preventing your town from becoming Anytown, USA.


j.) Local foods offer more variety. Small farms offer unique produce that are often unsuited for commercial food growing. Restaurants can choose from hundreds of heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables, adding more flavors and colors to their restaurant menu.


Public Health Concerns


Now more than ever, restaurants are being pressured to create healthier meals with smaller portions. Americans are overweight and plagued by chronic disease such as diabetes. In response to public demand, many restaurants now offer smaller portion sizes and healthier food options on their regular menu. Children’s menus too, are getting a healthy make-over.


Reference: http://restaurants.about.com/od/menu/a/local_Foods.htm