The tablet today is more than just a mobile gadget for entertainment, social networking and checking emails while on the go. For the business owners particularly those managing restaurants or food chains, the portable device has become a very useful business tool.
In a restaurant business, technology is also of utmost importance and the tablet can be used creatively in a variety of ways.
Primarily, it can be utilized as a point of sales machine as well as a tool to allow customers to view menus and for servers to take orders.
Viewing Menus
Being light and having an attractive interface, the tablet can very well be used to allow people to check out a restaurant’s menu. Instead of the usual brochure or booklet type, they can just swipe on the screen to view the food offerings.
For this reason, business owners need to create a user-friendly and attractive document on the device to make the menu more appealing. Layout design and font type and sizes to use should be given much thought to ensure a pleasant browsing experience to customers every time.
Taking Orders
Other than showing the restaurant’s menu, the tablet regardless of the size of its screen can be used by waiters or servers in taking orders as well. Its major benefit is keeping the servers on the floor all the time without having to go back and forth to the fixed POS station to bring the customer’s orders.
With the popular mobile device, servers can easily enter the orders which are then printed automatically in the kitchen. With a simple touch of the send button, for instance, orders can be transmitted to the kitchen right away.
Reports have shown that in a restaurant, the use of tablets freed up 10 minutes of a server’s time per hour. This in turn improves their productivity.
POS
Another major use of the tablet is in confirming sales. When a customer wants to pay for his or her bill, for instance, a server or supervisor can simply go to the guest and ask for his credit card and swipe it using the mobile device.
This process is faster and provides more convenience not only to the customer which is a big comeon to the restaurant.
In the U.S., the largest casual dining chain Applebee will place tablets at every table in all of its branches by the end of this year. A total of 100,000 tablets will be rolled out, considered to be the biggest ever rollout of such mobile technology in the private sector. The device will let customers to order appetizers and deserts as well as pay whenever they want. Interestingly, those who want to play video games while waiting for their orders to arrive.
Another chain Chili’s has already started using tablets while IHOP also owned by Applebee’s mother company is planning to follow suit.
Image via smallbusiness.aol
About the guest author:
Peter Bowman is a professional blogger that provides tips and information on franchise opportunities you should invest in. He writes for Franchise Expo, the place to find the best franchise opportunities available.
