While most United States restaurants get by with Wi-Fi, long-term evolution (LTE) and public 5G connectivity options, these solutions all have limitations. As a restaurant owner or manager, you know internet connectivity is vital to every part of a restaurant’s operations — from advertising and marketing to metric monitoring, inventory management and online reservations.
Offering your diners online access is a part of the dining experience customers appreciate and often expect. If your restaurant’s connectivity is limited or tends to fail intermittently, it could disrupt your operational routines and cost your restaurant income and business.
Consider some of the benefits of improved connectivity for your restaurant’s operations.
The Benefits of Better Connectivity
You may have heard of the Internet of Things (IoT) and private 5G technologies. IoT is quickly infiltrating the U.S. hospitality industry through smart devices using cloud-based technology. Private 5G cellular connectivity facilitates improved communication quality in IoT devices and allows users to utilize private, protected networks for more dedicated connections within their locations.
Both of these technologies, especially in tandem, offer restaurants better and more secure connectivity within their establishments, which comes with notable benefits.
1. Providing Free High-Speed Internet to Customers
Affording your patrons free internet connectivity is an effective marketing tool that could sway many potential customers to choose your restaurant instead of another without the facility, especially if you provide them with a high-speed solution. With a private 5G connection, you can secure an uncapped data solution at a fixed cost for your establishment, meaning you needn’t worry about diners’ data consumption.
With 5G’s lower latency and increased bandwidth options, you could simultaneously offer a large number of diners fast and unhindered real-time connectivity that’s lag-free. 5G can potentially reach speeds 100 times faster than 4G, so it’s a big upgrade. Further incorporation of IoT technology would provide your staff and clientele with other benefits without disruption.
2. Incorporating Digital Ordering
As technology advances, establishing an online ordering platform where diners can order their meals without waiting for waiters will streamline your processes and impress the guests. Online ordering improves service efficiency as customers need not wait for an available staff member to take their orders, and the kitchen staff can begin preparing meals without delays.
Reliable and robust internet connectivity is essential for a digital ordering system to function efficiently without delays. Such a system’s potential extends beyond in-house dining, with opportunities to takeout orders. Incorporating it would eliminate the need for staff members to spend valuable time taking manual orders by phone. With improved connectivity in your restaurant, digital ordering capabilities are possible and could substantially benefit its bottom line.
3. Enhancing Asset and Inventory Management
With improved internet connectivity, incorporating IoT smart technology to manage assets in real time is feasible. The technology can use air quality sensors to predict the state of your restaurant’s kitchen equipment, meaning you’ll know earlier whether your deep fryer needs servicing or your dishwasher is at risk of giving in. This prior notice allows you to schedule repairs or maintenance ahead of time, preventing inopportune equipment breakdowns or malfunctions.
Imagine if a party of experienced beer aficionados had depleted your malt liquor stocks while you were off-site. Imagine not knowing until another diner orders one. If your establishment had improved connectivity and an IoT inventory management system, you would have received a notification when your stock ran low. In this instance, enhancing your connectivity could have saved you embarrassment and a lost sale.
4. Predicting Diner Behavior
5G-type internet connectivity means you can incorporate solutions using algorithmic data analytics to predict and assess the behavior of your restaurant’s customers. These insights allow you to act on the assessed behaviors to improve your diner satisfaction and relationships. Knowing these behaviors means being able to run promotions and specials on specific meals or offer targeted incentives through your reward programs.
Of course, backing up the technological findings with scenario and behavioral testing before acting on them will stand you in better and more assured stead, but the online insights you receive mean doing so will be more productive and less time-consuming. Without the necessary connectivity in your restaurant, these insights would not be possible.
5. Improving Overall Connectivity
Private 5G connectivity provides higher levels of secure connectivity within restaurants than public 5G, Wi-Fi or LTE. Already, this improves signal strength and reach. Coupled with an IoT smart device, it’ll afford you several options you never previously had in your establishment, such as:
- Monitoring inventory levels and improving stock control
- Assessing peak periods
- Tracking average and popular orders
- Providing customer insights
- Adjusting operation times
- Fine-tuning ordering processes
- Personalizing menus
- Initiating loyalty programs and unique customer offers
- Notifying customers of special offers and seasonal promotions
- Handling bookings and waiting periods
- Mobile app payments
While you’ll already have systems to address most of these points, improved connectivity allows you to fine-tune and, in some cases, automate them. Imagine the time and productivity saved if you could send notifications to waiting customers’ phones to inform them that their table is available or their meal is five minutes from ready.
Improve Your Connectivity to Benefit Your Restaurant
Private 5G and IoT technology are nothing new, but their capabilities remain cutting-edge in the U.S. hospitality industry. With fiber internet in major centers offering another high-speed connectivity alternative for restauranteurs, several solutions function efficiently in an eating establishment environment.
The bottom line is some impressive potential benefits are bypassing you without improved connectivity in your restaurant.
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