How to Prepare Your Restaurant for When Travel is Back to Normal?

Neater queues, faster service and mobile ordering, is your restaurant ready to tackle an influx of revenge travelers?

Many Restaurants Have Felt the Pinch from Decreased Travel

With global travel slowing to a crawl over the last two years, many restaurants have seen their customers declining as a result. While not all restaurants rely on foreign tourists to make up the bulk of their business, most restaurants would see a minor boost in customer numbers with a boost in tourism, at the very least.

 

The biggest problem with tourist numbers being nearly non-existent is that many restaurants have been forced to operate at lower capacity as a result of falling revenue. In cities such as Hong Kong, which is an international hub and a gateway into Asia, the lack of food-hungry travelers has badly affected the local F&B sector.

 

No matter if your restaurant has been severely affected by the global travel restrictions or just mildly affected, you should already be in the process of preparing to handle more customers by improving your workflow. With global travel beginning to recover once more, you don’t want to be lagging behind and struggling to keep up with new demand bolstered by higher tourist numbers while your competitors snap up all that extra business.

Is Your Restaurant Ready for A ‘Revenge Travel’ Boost?

A Reuters report suggests that “global travel [is] rebounding in 2022.” Other reports also claim that the interest in travel is only going to increase thanks to a new trend called ‘revenge travel’ that is now coming to the forefront. Revenge travel is all about letting people make up for lost time and missed opportunities caused by the closure of many international borders during the peak of COVID-19. With most countries beginning to open up at some level or another, restaurants can expect to see a surge in the number of foreign diners that are seeking new food experiences during their travels.

5 Ways Your Restaurant Can Prepare for an Influx in Customers

1. Automate to Save Time and Manage Your Restaurant Anywhere with a Cloud-based POS

A cloud-based POS (point of sale) uses familiar hardware to bring you an elevated restaurant software experience that can solve many of your regular operation headaches. Easily import and change your menus, keep track of modifiers, fire orders to the right kitchen stations and have an accurate image of your restaurant’s data/finances.

 

Thanks to the nature of how a cloud-based POS is designed, you will have access to a smart system that eliminates redundant tasks and speeds things up drastically. Faster service and easy business management mean that you will be able to stay on top of an influx of revenge travelers when they visit your restaurant. A restaurant with poor management and inefficient processes will simply not operate well enough to cope with an influx of customers.

 

Get an in-depth look at how a cloud-based POS can help you boost sales

 

2. Improve Customer Service and Reduce Errors with an mPOS

If your restaurant is built with the concept of providing exceptional customer service, then an mPOS (mobile POS) might be just the product you need to keep up with revenge travelers. Since many people travel the globe in search of new and unique food experiences, your staff can engage with these travelers and teach them more about the unique culture and flavors behind your food if they have an mPOS on-hand. Super portable, ultra-practical and full of features, let your staff connect with travelers and local diners to give them an unforgettable experience. Not only will this lead to great word of mouth, but it could also lead to positive online reviews.

3. Manage Lines Effectively with a Queue Management System

Is there any bigger turn-off when searching for a restaurant than encountering a massive, disorganized line right outside the door? Don’t scare customers away with poor queue management. Instead, opt for a Queue Ticket Kiosk that can dispense tickets with QR codes on them so that waiting customers can always check their status in line from their mobile phones even without physically waiting in queue.

 

Not only will this reduce congestion outside your restaurant, but it’ll also let travelers use their time more effectively while they’re in your country.

 

4. Rely on Fewer Staff with BYOD Tech

If you’re unable to find more staff in time for the revenge travel rush, you can actually utilize BYOD tech and let your customers do the work of some of your staff. By scanning QR codes with their phones, you can let customers place their own orders without needing staff to be present to help them. To avoid language issues, you can let customers pick the language of their choice before accessing your menu. Super simple, easy and convenient!

 

5. Let People Order from their Hotels with Web Ordering

While many countries have scrapped quarantine laws completely for travelers, some places still require new arrivals to spend some time in isolation. During this time, it’s important that your restaurant can still be discovered, which is where online ordering comes into play. With even a basic e-commerce website or by listing on popular food platforms, your restaurant could earn just as much from online delivery/pickup orders as it does from physical ones.

Help Your Restaurant Reach New Heights in 2022

With travel set for a major rebound this year, it’s well worth it to gear your restaurant up for an influx of customers by utilizing smart technology. By implementing any or all of the following things - cloud-based POS system, mPOS, Queue Management System, BYOD tech and web ordering – you can be assured that your restaurant will not only be ready to serve revenge travelers, but that you’ll also be geared for growth as you spearhead the future of dining.