In December 2019, WorkJam provided Modern Restaurant Management Magazine with industry predictions for the upcoming year.
Although we could have never predicted a global pandemic, catastrophic wildfires, and other major economic influences, our predictions came to fruition.
- Delivery will play an increasingly bigger role: Third-party brands will facilitate more your customers’ relationship with your brand.
- Ghost kitchens will become more popular: Restaurants without dining rooms will appear more and more.
The predictions, as they appear in Modern Restaurant Management Magazine are below:
As we head into 2020, restaurants… will have to begin seriously considering the impact food delivery businesses have on their brand. With third-party brands now facilitating the relationship between restaurants and consumers, restaurants must do everything in their power to control that customer experience. An example of this could include rethinking how the kitchen is trained and staffed.
We will definitely see restaurants change staffing levels and the rise of ghost kitchens (kitchens that operate without dining rooms), to ensure order fulfillment is efficient and timely. Further, kitchen staff will have to refine preparing and styling to-go orders to present well after transit. Additionally, staff will be expected to have cross-training in both order fulfillment and customer service for guests dining-in. With possibly fewer chances to win over in-house diners, it’s imperative that restaurants capitalize on their waitstaff and make both the dining-in customer experience count.
It’s critical that restaurants prepare their staffing and operations with digital workplace tools to meet the demands of what this shift in the restaurant industry will bring. Through predictive scheduling, online training modules, and closed-loop communication, restaurants will be able to staff locations accordingly and ensure efficient service while reducing turnover and creating a more loyal, higher-performing workforce. Additionally, using a digital system to manage tasks will allow for compliance around execution and food safety.
The themes hold true today. With less opportunities to win loyal customers, restaurants have had to retool their operations to become agile.
Agile businesses—businesses that can adapt well to change—have always been poised for success. Prior to digital workplace platforms, it was easier said than done. Only a complete digital workplace enables new ways to work that breakdown the constraints of bloated communications, task management, scheduling, and other operational initiatives—at scale.
By shortening the communication gap between the head office, management, and frontlines, the entire business can make strategic changes quickly.
It was true in December 2019. It is true now. And, it will be true in the future. Agility is a pillar for success as the market continues to change.
Learn more about the applications of WorkJam in the restaurant industry: A Day in the Life of a Restaurant Manager Using A Digital Workplace
