FEATURE | TECHNOLOGY IN RESTAURANTS

58 Hospitality Ireland December 2014

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Technology has changed the waybusinesses run industry-wide,and the restaurant sector is nodifferent. Operational andadvertising platforms, systems

and apps are bountiful and up forrestaurateurs’ consideration.

Step aside, kerbside menu boards.Modern days have also found importancein creating and maintaining restaurantFacebook pages, encouraging customercheck-ins, chefs armed with camera phonesin order to entice daily custom, Instagram,hashtags, tweeting, food photos, foodblogs. Even the emergence of blue toothcoffee machines are keeping things fresh.Naturally then, that ol’ time ‘Pen To Paper’method via which customers orders aretaken, was bound to get a face-lift.

For the first time ever, businesses andcustomers can, and are, growing togetherwith new technological advances. As such, aweigh-up of realtime mealtime, is in order.

Mobile POS systems In 2012, First Annapolis Consultingestimated that, “Mobile POS couldincrease the total POS in the market by40%, potentially cannibalising 5% oftraditional POS hardware and softwarealong the way.”

That fast rate development rings true withthe emergence of basic card acceptance,mobile enabled distance selling, Cloud-basedPOS mobile hardware, customerrelationship management, and E-wallets.

On a recent trip abroad, it was hard notto notice a hefty rise in the number ofrestaurants utilising Mobile Point Of SaleSystems with ease. From the big restaurantchains, to the many smaller, independentcafés. More often than not, mobile POS wasin the hands and pockets of waiters. And yetour dining experiences never felt robotic orcompromised, and we couldn't help butwonder why this island in the NorthAtlantic seems to be left out of the race?

In a previous issue, we shared a recentstudy by HT/Distractify and Craigslist,

Real timeMobile Point Of Sale systems are being used inrestaurants all over the continent, but are yet to befully embraced here in Ireland. Is our restaurantindustry lagging behind, or is it just on the cusp of asurge? Time will tell, says Nina Knezevic.

December 2014 Hospitality Ireland 59

Screen Dreams Service is being redefinedthrough the prism of technology in the21st Century.

Mealtime

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which showedhow customers’mobile phone usage inrestaurants is extending thelength of standard table servicefrom one hour and five minutes, to onehour and 55 minutes, subsequentlyhindering valuable revenue. Given that thisis so, it makes sense for Irish restaurateurs toperhaps consider the use of these same smartphones to increase profits.

Slowey Systems – one of Ireland’s longestestablished POS companies, founded in 1976by Pat Slowey and joined by Keith Slowey in1994 – are providing Mobile POS systems tobusinesses with ease. Speaking to HospitalityIreland, Keith Slowey says, “Mobile ishappening now in every industry, but as anation we have been very slow to embracemobile technology within the restaurant andfood service industry. I would estimate thatthere are only approximately 5% ofcurrently restaurants using any type ofmobile technology".

A noteworthy survey conducted by Chris

Williams and TriniTEQ cited the exampleof, “Jonah’s Seafood House in East Peoria,Illinois – a large venue seating 420, whichsees 530 daily covers on average that eachspend $21 – upgraded a seven-year-old POSsystem in favor of handheld.Two monthsafter upgrading, they increased their tableturns to every 75 minutes from 90 minutes,increased their average cheque size, percover, by nearly 15%; and reduced theirfront-of-house staff by four employees.”

The Slowey Systems app is calledPocketPOS, and can work in iOS, Android,or Windows Mobile devices. Theirparticular app offers perks such as realtimeordering, increased customer satisfactionlevels, reduced wait staff headcount,eliminating stationary POS screen queues, a

decrease in paper waste, vast potential forup-sell, real-time information on portioncontrol and availability, along with theability to pay by card directly at the tablewith mobile Verifone Chip and Pin.Additionally, they offer telephone andremote access helpdesk support, which isavailable from 8am-11pm, seven days aweek, and can connect to any device todiscuss any issue in real time.

Keith explains, “There are not as manystaff required for order-taking, as theprocess is much more efficient. Manyrestaurants replace some of the casual waitstaff with bussing staff and employ higher-grade wait staff as ‘sales’ people who neverleave the floor, but focus on looking afterthe customers.

“The handheld devices can prompt waitstaff on promotions, up-sells, or discounts,and orders are submitted accurately to thekitchen directly from the table, reducingwaiter footprints, and wait time forcustomers, with less of a chance forforgetting to punch something in.

“The app even has the functionality thatitems like early bird specials can disappearautomatically based on the time of day andthe day of the week. Similarly, pricing canchange automatically.”

Installation seems almost effortless. Appsare individually created and personalised.Businesses simply supply their brandstandards, a menu, product list, andinformation on what devices and Wi-Fi set-up they use. If a PixelPOS system is alreadyin place, the PocketPOS solution can berunning within days. If not, it takes roughlytwo weeks to implement, including stafftraining, which is provided.

Keith continues, “Restaurateurs tend to beafraid of new technology and are very

60 Hospitality Ireland December 2014

Keith Slowey of Slowey Systems haswitnessed mobile technology beingimplemented in every industry.

Paging ... The table-based WaiterPaging System can streamlinestaffing costs.

FEATURE | TECHNOLOGY IN RESTAURANTS

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reluctant to be early adopters, whichsometimes makes it difficult for them to do acost-benefit analysis on something they don’tfully understand. However, the general shiftin public usage of mobile technology andexpectations of the younger generation willmake change happen sooner.”

TrailblazersIntrepid Irish restaurateur David Wright –owner of The Dog House Blue’s Tea Roomin Howth – not only utilises mobile POSsystems with great success, but has taken ita step further, by using their personalisedApp in conjunction with Waiter WatchPagers and Waiter/Bill Pager buttons forthe tables.

We spoke with Geoff Harding, Managerof The Dog House, who gave us his take ontheir bespoke formula for success. “At TheDog House, we strive to stay at the forefrontof customer service and, naturally,technology nhas become a huge part of this.The main reason we use our applications isthat it has allowed our waiting staff to bemore attentive to our customers needs andallows them to spend more time engaging.All operations run more quickly andefficiently, leaving no room for mistakes thatmight get in the way.

“Within the App, everything is laid outclearly in large font. It has ruled out anymiscommunication between staff, whichmay arise due to bad handwriting orspelling, the orders are clearly printed inboth the bar and kitchen so there’s noconfusion. All settings are easily changed tosuit our needs, like changes to a floor planfor instance.

“The iPads have worked perfectly andthere hasn’t been a downside yet. Our staffclock in using the touch pad and that’s it,they’re in. I’m certain the staff have an easytime using it and if there was ever a problemwe have a technician on the phone to fix itremotely, which is very handy for us.”

As for the addition of waiter watches andtable paging systems, he adds, “We have anunusual space layout, inside and out, includinglots of little nooks and crannies for customersto hide away in. Our watches tie into pagerbuttons on the tables. These all have tablenumbers and they register with differentwatches. This allows for a more intimatedining experience as waiting staff are only thetouch of a button away, it also allows them todo other things around the restaurant. Ourcustomers have been amazed by our pagersand certainly like to use them. Children lovethem too. The combination of these advanceshave been positive all round for us.”

Staff at the Dog House have created apersonal formula for ultimate productivity.As they say themselves, “we like to havethe edge”.

Gerry Clancy and Kokoon Technologyhave been providing Waiter Watch and Pager

Systems in Ireland since 2010. The companyhas over 100 systems in operation all over thecountry, including newcustomer, Tony Roma’s– an American casualdining franchise that justopened on Main Streetin Naas, with plans forfive more restaurants inIreland over the next 12months.

Gerry Clancyexplains the simplicity,“It’s all about gettingthe most from the leastamount of staff. All ourpager systems come pre-programmed, sodelivery is just a matterof plugging in andmaking sure that allpagers have a goodcharge.”

Successful Implementation As with any emerging technology,implementing carefully is crucial to success.Taking a close look at which App worksbest for individual businesses isrecommended. There is a vast selection ofmobile POS apps available for tablets andsmart phones, yet some are better suited forsmall cafés.

Key areas to consider within your app are:real time stock control, recipe costing,purchase order modules, time in attendancefor all staff, staff rostering, electronic giftvouchers, debit and credit accounts, loyaltyschemes, cash management, managementalerts by email for SMS, detailed reporting,data mining, report generators, kitchendisplay systems, online ordering integration,real time delivery and driver tracker, chipand pin integration, centralized managementof multiple sites from one location, web-based intelligence reporting and integrationwith CCTV systems.

Stephen Gibson, owner of Dublin’spopular Pichet restaurant, agrees with thebenefits of mobile POS, but points out thatpart of successful implementation isconsidering the suitability. “I would considerinstalling Mobile POS devices as I can seethe benefits of increasing operationalefficiency, but they are better suited to amore casual style restaurant. We aim toserve our tables at a nice pace that suits thestyle of food produced, rather than asspeedily as possible. Technological advancesare always welcome, but the hospitalityindustry is a personal industry, so I feeltechnology should never replace this.”

Considering that 30 years ago, desktopsand mobiles were limited to a very fewpeople, and now there are more mobilephones than there are humans, it seemswe've pushed past barriers of acceptance.These days, it's more of a surprise not to seea mobile in someone’s hand. Perhaps thesame will be said of Irish waiters in future.

“Restaurateurs tend to be afraidof new technology and are veryreluctant to be early adopters,

which sometimes makes itdifficult for them to do a cost-benefit analysis on somethingthey don’t fully understand.”

Stephen Gibson from Pichet,“... the hospitality industry is a

personal industry.”

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Customisation Different businesseswill have different ways ofimplementing new technologies.

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