In this blog post, we talk about how technology can help your restaurant or cafe to increase turnover, reduce expenses and work efficiently with less staff. All while the guest receives faster and more efficient service.

Since the pandemic has occurred, most of the restaurants that have adopted contactless service, haven’t removed nor replaced it. Instead, the public has adopted it and now wants to keep it. In fact, recent studies have proven that 60% of the population prefers placing their in-house orders digitally rather than physically, and the in-house contactless service market has increased by 383% in one year, and is expected to double in the upcoming months.

Even after the pandemic, it is therefore proven that there’s still a great focus on contactless service, but what are the main reasons for that ?

The benefits of digitising the guest journey extend far beyond the social distancing, and there is a very good reason for that. With the current situation, implementing a digital menu can be the solution to maintain a good and healthy business with unimaginable possibilities, and again deliver additional sales on your orders. With Horago as your partner, you can use digital menus and give your guests the opportunity to order and pay directly from the table by simply using their phone to scan a QR code at the table and access your digital menu, easily and quickly.

A digital solution does not necessarily replace personal service, but the two combined give the best of both worlds.

If they prefer, guests can choose to read your menu digitally and order in person from a waiter, and they will never be deprived to do so!  

However, the studies mentioned in the introduction can be translated as that the majority of guests prefer easy and quick service without having to wait for menus, ordering, getting a waiter nor the bill. In fact, what guests really expect from the waiter is to take his time regarding the on-time service of good and warm food.

It is precisely this quality time that your guest expects, but this expectation is often interrupted as the waiter is usually in getting orders and payments.

Finally, your digital menu can be edited from minute to minute, giving you unprecedented opportunities to present an always exciting menu, including pictures that will increase your customers’ appetite.

Getting to the point, what are the true benefits for your location of getting onboarded with Horago? Here are the strongest reasons illustrating the why:

1. Overcome the crisis

You can consider whether it should also be written in your digital menu that due to inflation and rising electricity prices, a temporary energy surcharge of 5% is imposed on the bill. Your guests will certainly meet this with full understanding as you want to survive the times so that the guests can continue to enjoy of your cafe or restaurant in the future.

2. Increase additional sales

When guests can order food and drinks with the click of a button, it becomes easier and more accessible for the guest. Imagine that a guest is considering ordering a dessert or an extra glass of wine. The elimination of elements that require more effort for the guest, such as making eye contact with a waiter to get menus again and then order, reduces the barrier and makes it more likely that the guest will place another order. A digital menu also gives you the opportunity to further increase revenue by recommending other items on the menu card for just their order. At Horago, we see that 42% of the orders include additional sales - everything from peanuts to the draft beer, extra cheese and bacon in the burger, olives for the wine, etc.

3. No pressure

Being able to enjoy a contactless restaurant visit that is safe from virus transmission from contact surfaces will most likely continue to be important. However, there are several and probably more relevant reasons why guests appreciate online ordering from the table. They can make their choices at their own pace, they have full control over what is ordered, and they can ensure that no wrong orders are made by any waiters.

4. Save on personnel costs

Personnel costs are one of the absolute highest expenses. Added to this are all the electricity bills and the inflation that eats away at the profit. That's why digitisation will be the way forward to efficient service with fewer staff, increased turnover and happy guests, all while you can retain your income in these hard times!

5. Help the staff

Since QR codes help automate the task of going to each table to offer the menu, your servers will have more energy to focus on giving your customers the best service. They don't have to keep running through different tables with the orders while struggling to remember which ones haven't yet been given a menu. This reduces the risk of dissatisfied diners and staff.

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