Technology | KRG Hospitality

Lobby of Crockfords inside Resorts World Las Vegas

September 6, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

6 Takeaways from HD Expo 2021

6 Takeaways from HD Expo 2021

by David Klemt

Crockfords lobby inside Resorts World Las Vegas

This year’s Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas reveals an industry set to undergo seismic shifts that will reverberate for years to come.

While the pandemic certainly plays a role in transforming the industry, it’s not the only factor.

Here are six major takeaways from HD Expo 2021.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Hospitality—indeed, the world—is in the midst of reckoning with inequality. This is both long overdue and nowhere near complete.

Truthfully, we’re just at the start of the process. There’s much more work to be done.

However, many global hospitality brands and their partners are taking steps to be more equitable. The focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is holistic, spanning C-suites to fronts and backs of house.

Refreshingly, this commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t limited to hotel and restaurant chains. Smaller, independent operators are also up to the challenge of eschewing long-standing inequalities and toxic norms.

We have a lot more work to do but change is in the air.

Sustainability

Another widespread hospitality industry focus is sustainability. Again, global brands and equipment manufacturers to independent operators and small design firms are seeking to operate more sustainably.

Hotels, resorts, and restaurants are committing to design and operations that lessen their impact on local areas and the globe. Equipment manufacturers are doing the same.

While a smaller show this year, the HD Expo floor featured several exhibitors proudly pursuing LEED and other environmentally-friendly certifications.

Certainly, the hospitality industry has been focusing on sustainability, “going green,” and responsible operations for a few years. From what we saw at HD Expo 2021, the desire for sustainability and environmental design is only going to grow stronger.

Return to Nature

Intriguingly, many designers and boutique operators are changing how we think about resorts. Airstreams and intimate cabins that encourage guests to recharge and reconnect with nature are on the rise.

For example, Getaway intends their guests to disconnect and immerse themselves in nature. Ideally, a guest won’t even consider bringing electronic devices and trying to work or spend any time on their phone.

A quick exploration of the Getaway website makes the brand’s mission clear. Slides have titles such as “Getaway from Nashville” and “Getaway from Chicago.” The navigation bar lists Getaway locations under the heading “Escape From.”

Conversely, there’s Yonder. This resort in Escalante (more locations are on the way) also wants guests to disconnect. However, they do offer WiFi and aren’t about escaping from the world.

Rather, Yonder encourages guests to engage with one another. The Escalante property features a communal clubhouse and robust food and beverage program. A massive hot tub spans the length of the pool. There are no showers in the Airstreams or cabins—guests commune with nature when they bathe.

Of course, more traditional hotels and resorts, along with restaurants and bars, are also embracing the outdoors.

In terms of this design change, one can certainly draw a straight, well-defined line from the pandemic to outdoor spaces. Leveraging outdoor areas continues to be one of the most common solutions for navigating and surviving mandates and public health recommendations.

Nearly every panel discussion at HD Expo 2021 at least made a passing mention of maximizing the usage of outdoor spaces. Clearly, this isn’t a design trend—this change is here to stay.

Guest Tech

Increasingly, hotels and some restaurant brands are going out of their way to allow guests to control their stays through technology.

Want to order room service? A few clicks of your phone make that possible. Not completely comfortable? Adjust temperatures, lights, drapes and shades digitally.

From check-in to check-out, a guest can essentially control every aspect of their visit via the little device in their pocket.

This is, in part, a response to the pandemic. It’s also about adapting quickly to shifting guest needs and desires.

Hotel, resort, restaurant and bar, and entertainment venue guests are skewing ever younger. And each successive generation is ever-more technologically savvy.

If something can be handled via phone or tablet quickly and conveniently, a significant percentage of guests feel it should be handled that way.

Additionally, smart increases in tech implementation speak to another guest expectation: If they’re accustomed to having something from home, they want it at hotels and resorts as well.

In fact, Lee Shuman, vice president of construction and design for Peachtree Hotel Group, says guest expectation is impacting hotel pools. According to Shuman, pools “seem to be falling to the wayside” in favor of larger, better-equipped health centers.

Of course, this another change partly fueled by the pandemic. More and more people are focusing on their health. People are working out more and expect hotels and resorts to provide them with convenient ways to work out when away from home.

After all, a hotel is intended to be a home away from home.

Local Culture

As trends, locality and hyper-locality are growing stronger and stronger. Interestingly, a focus on local culture is impacting all areas of hospitality, not just F&B.

Several hotel, resort and design groups spoke to the importance of embracing locals in as many ways as possible.

Hotel and resort owners and groups are retaining the services of local designers. In turn, those designers influence exterior architecture, interior design, artwork, and a specific project’s color theory.

Who better, after all, to ensure a property fits within the landscape and speaks to locals? It’s only logical to work with local designers and artists—they’re immersed fully in a location and and its culture.

Local artists and artisans also imbue a property with its personality. They also help to attract local support.

We expect more hotel and resort groups to focus on differentiating one property in their portfolio from the next. Indeed, there are groups with portfolios wherein every property is unique.

F&B Focus

It’s fair to say that, traditionally speaking, many hotel groups treated their F&B programming almost as an afterthought. In fact, some groups made it clear F&B was unimportant to them.

That’s changing.

Locality and hyper-locality are permeating F&B programs, and hotels, guests and locals are better for it.

It’s no longer uncommon to find local food items, beer, spirits, wine, and soft drinks on hotel restaurant and room service menus.

The pursuit of the local is very real and very effective. Locals are encouraged by some hotel operators to work, relax, play, dine and eat at their properties. In fact, many groups seek to make their hotels and resorts a part of everyday life for locals.

Interestingly, hyper-locality isn’t new to today’s restaurant operator. We expect this “trend” to gain a stronger foothold throughout the hospitality industry.

Image: Crockfords / Resorts World Las Vegas

Vaccine passport on phone sitting on map and passport

August 17, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Vax Passports? Here Come Vax Kiosks

Vaccine Passports? Here Come Vaccine Kiosks

by David Klemt

Some airports and hotels are already leveraging kiosk technology to confirm a person’s vaccine status.

It’s only a matter of time before we see this technology expand to hospitality venues like restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

The question is, what will the confirmation process look like?

CLEAR Example

One of the simplest ways to imagine how these kiosks will work is via CLEAR.

The company uses a person’s unique biometrics to “transform your eyes and face into a touchless ID.” CLEAR can also use fingerprints.

Currently, you can find the service in more than 50 airports, stadiums and other locations. A person walks up to a CLEAR kiosk, it scans their eyes, face and/or fingerprints, and their identity is confirmed.

The company’s website shows a message explaining that CLEAR users can link their vaccine status to their account. At the moment, this appears to be one of the most seamless integrations in terms of tech and an individual’s identity.

One real-world example of how CLEAR works to prove vaccination status comes from the Las Vegas Raiders. To attend home games without wearing masks, people will have to download the free CLEAR mobile app. Using the Health Pass feature, they’ll be able to prove their vaccination status to go maskless at Allegiant Stadium.

Privacy Concerns

So, how else could these kiosks work? First, it’s incredibly unlikely that every major market will install such kiosks. The exception may be airports, of course.

However, some hotel and large restaurant groups may decide to use them, likely in cities like New York that already have vaccine passport apps.

In theory, using a platform like Google API, businesses could install kiosks that scan an app via QR code or other method to confirm a person’s vaccination status.

One glaring issue comes down to privacy.

Loyal CLEAR users trust the company or they wouldn’t use it. However, who would program apps that confirm vaccination status for kiosks? And who would own the data? How secure can that very personal data be?

Millions of people already believe being asked to wear a mask is an infringement on their freedoms. Millions also believe being asked to confirm their vaccination status is a violation of their privacy.

So, how will they respond to vaccine passports at hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, stadiums, etc.? Whatever side of the debate you’re on, it’s clear that the divide between the vaccinated and unvaccinated is widening by the day.

As has been the case since 2020, lawmakers are punting on taking responsibility for how mandates and “recommendations” are enforced by businesses. As has been the case for well over a year, it’s the guest-facing workers who will bear the brunt of hostile encounters over mask and vaccine rules.

Image: Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

Reviewing and analyzing customer data on a laptop computer

July 27, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

How SevenRooms Improves Operations

How SevenRooms Improves Operations

by David Klemt

It’s true that SevenRooms is a reservation management platform. However, it’s so much more powerful than that.

Simply put, if the platform wasn’t simple to use and integrate with other systems, they wouldn’t be celebrating their tenth year.

A recent interview via Clubhouse highlights why now, more than ever, operators need to seriously consider SevenRooms.

Background

Guy Clarke, founder of Sizzle Dining, spoke with two key SevenRooms team members in a casual but informative Clubhouse chat.

Allison Page, SevenRooms co-founder and Chief Product Officer, and Marybeth Sheppard, senior vice president of marketing, fielded Clarke’s questions.

Interestingly, Page admits SevenRooms took five to seven years to really fine-tune operations. In fact, she says that the team didn’t quite know exactly what they were offering for the first year or two.

Now, the “reservation” platform has truly hit their stride. The company doesn’t just manage reservations, it provides powerful solutions: a full suite of operational tools; table management; and guest experience and retention capabilities.

Of course, many tech platforms claim to help operators. However, SevenRooms is now enjoying a decade in business.

Their longevity is, in part, due to their approach to hospitality. As Page tells it, the founders didn’t just enter the industry believing they could “fix it” with tech.

Plenty of tech folks have identified problems in hospitality, boasted about their “common sense” solution, and exited after finding out how challenging the business is.

Instead, the SevenRooms team spent time in the trenches. According to Page, they took reservations, checked coats, and more. They spent time with hospitality workers after hours and got to know them.

What’s with that Name?

I’ve written several articles about SevenRooms. However, I’ve never addressed why the founders chose that name.

When asked by Clarke during the Clubhouse chat, Page provided the answer.

Turns out, the name is a loose nod to Graydon Carter’s “Seven Rooms Theory.” The theory speaks to navigating social status in New York City. In short, it posits that the NYC social scene consists of seven consecutive “rooms,” each with a secret door. Find the secret door, move to the next room.

Of course, SevenRooms isn’t about exclusivity. Instead, SevenRooms is helping operators reach the seventh “room,” which is a lasting relationship with a guest. The six previous rooms are a journey toward understanding that guest and making them loyal by delivering incredible guest experiences.

Why SevenRooms Works

If this seems like a shameless plug for SevenRooms, well, it sort of is. They didn’t pay me, Doug or KRG Hospitality to promote the platform; we just like what SevenRooms can do for operators.

In an industry that has until recently been slow to innovate when it comes to tech, the platform has been improving restaurant and hotel operations for years.

According to Page, SevenRooms has a simple operating philosophy that drives the company: “Make small big, make big small.” SevenRooms is driven to help small, independent operations punch well above their weight class. The platform gives independent operators the same capabilities as their large chain counterparts.

Conversely, SevenRooms gives enterprise operators an effective way to deliver the engaging experiences that independents offer their guests.

However, there are other reasons SevenRooms is so worthy of consideration: simplicity.

SevenRooms is all about collecting data. Of course, data does no good if an operator doesn’t know what to do with it. If they had to analyze and leverage it on their own, they’d need to employ data scientists and an entire marketing team.

Well, SevenRooms employs those people instead so operators don’t need to. An operator doesn’t need to be a data scientist to use the information they collect through the platform. Marketing campaigns are automated and engaging, and require little effort from the end user.

Reduce Costs, Increase Revenue

As Sheppard explains, SevenRooms manages and, more importantly, helps maximize a restaurant’s floor.

Looking to increase turns? Done. Want every seat to generate revenue? Smart seating makes that possible. According to Sheppard, SevenRooms’ auto-assign seating functionality is worthy of operators’ trust. Additionally, the platform’s CRM, table management and marketing tools help staff upsell guests.

Speaking of automated functions, Sheppard provides insight into SevenRooms auto-tagging. The platform assigns automated tags that make it simple for staff to understand the guests they’re serving. Some examples are:

Burger lover
Red wine lover
Big tipper
Loves expensive wine
No-showed twice

Just those five examples show how SevenRooms helps operators and their teams maximize the guest experience to generate revenue. So, how does the platform reduce costs?

First, investing in SevenRooms reduces an operator’s overall tech stack investment. It integrates with around 50 POS systems and offers several tools (modules), meaning an operator doesn’t need to purchase several platforms that may not integrate with one another.

Second, the reservation and table management tools streamline an operator’s business. When team members are focusing on revenue-generating tasks, the floor is being sat more efficiently, and guests are being wowed, costs are driven down and revenue is driven up.

Then, there’s the “hidden” benefit. As Sheppard says, hospitality is a passion-driven industry. Unfortunately, there are many “non-passion” tasks that must be accomplished for operators to make money and keep their doors open.

Those tasks can take a toll, leading to an operator to fall out of love with the industry and their own concept. Well, SevenRooms takes several of those tasks (sifting through data, creating marketing campaigns, figuring out how to maximize the floor, etc.) and automates them.

Therefore, operators have more time to program menus, mentor team members, forge relationships with guests by touching tables, and more.

To request a SevenRooms demo, click here.

Image: John Schnobrich on Unsplash

Pepper hotel concierge robot by SoftBank Robotics

July 2, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Restaurant Tech Map Illustrates Innovation

Restaurant Tech Map Illustrates Innovation

by David Klemt

The hospitality industry’s embracing of new technologies is experiencing rapid and welcome acceleration in less than two years.

In comparison to the restaurant technology map by TechTable and Better Food Ventures from 2019, there are two entirely new categories: Shared / Ghost Kitchens, and Food Safety / Quality.

More than a dozen platforms on the 2021 map from TechTable and Culterra Capital (sponsored by Back-of-House) now fall into those two categories.

Changing Landscape

It’s a sign of current industry trends and what will matter to guests moving forward that ghost kitchens and food safety are emerging as separate tech segments.

Obviously, the pandemic didn’t create the ghost kitchen category. However, it did fuel a meteoric rise in delivery and takeout. In turn, ghost kitchens are more prevalent than ever.

After all, a former Uber executive Travis Kalanick owns CloudKitchens and Applebee’s is testing a ghost kitchen pilot program.

What was once the domain of murky, unpermitted virtual brands is now its own successful business model.

However, today’s guest isn’t concerned solely with convenience. In general, guests now take their health and safety more seriously since the pandemic

Tech platforms that can ensure the food guests are consuming is safe will ease some concerns.

Increase in Platforms

Again, in comparison to just two years ago, the acceleration in new tech for the industry is astounding. It’s also long overdue.

As a whole, the hospitality industry has been surprisingly slow to take on new tech. Although, it’s fair to say that there wasn’t much new to adopt until somewhat recently.

Now that there’s more to try out, operators seem keen to embrace tech that can help them streamline operations; improve inventory monitoring and ordering; hire employees and manage teams; engage with and market to customers intelligently; and much more.

Even better, the above map doesn’t include all of the available platforms. That’s excellent news as it means operators have an increasing number of choices to help improve their business in every category of operation.

For example, Barventory isn’t listed within the Purchasing / Inventory / Ordering segment. The platform makes taking inventory, gaining a real-time inventory snapshot, and efficient ordering a breeze. Barventory also features the world’s first live keg scale.

It’s challenging to find positives from the past 14 to 15 months. However, one good thing may be the leaps in technology our industry is experiencing.

If they continue, these innovations may make it easier for operators and their employees to recover.

A concept’s tech stack is crucial to operations and will only grow more important moving forward. Whether opting for a full KRG Hospitality package or the Mindset program, we can help operators make informed tech selections.

Map by TechTable and Culterra Capital, sponsored by Back-of-House

Featured image: Pepper by SoftBank Robotics (photo by Alex Knight on Unsplash)

Statue of McDonald's mascot Ronald McDonald waving

June 21, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

McDonald’s Facing Privacy Lawsuit

McDonald’s Facing Privacy Lawsuit

by David Klemt

A McDonald’s customer in Illinois, a state with some of the strictest privacy laws in America, is suing the fast food giant.

The largest fast food chain in the world is testing artificial intelligence in select drive-thrus throughout the Prairie State.

In theory, the technology will become a valuable operational element and enhance the guest journey.

However, one plaintiff in Illinois says McDonald’s is violating the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).

AI-powered Drive-Thrus

Two years ago, McDonald’s made two significant technology company acquisitions.

In March of 2019, the fast food company purchased Dynamic Yield for a reported $300 million. Six months later, McDonald’s acquired Apprente.

The former acquisition brought “decision tech” to the QSR, using its digital billboards and ordering kiosks to make recommendations to guests depending on preferences, item popularity, and time of day.

The latter purchase is intended to bring automated voice ordering to McDonald’s drive-thrus through artificial intelligence.

Per CNBC, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski says AI is delivering an 85-percent order accuracy rate in its test stores. Currently, AI is taking 80 percent of the orders at ten Illinois McDonald’s locations.

Clearly, McDonald’s is investing in tech the company believes will enhance and speed up the guest drive-thru experience.

Lawsuit

Shannon Carpenter’s class-action lawsuit alleges that McDonald’s “violated BIPA because it failed to obtain proper consent prior to collecting and disseminating Plaintiff’s and the other class members’ voiceprint biometrics who interacted with its AI voice assistant at its Illinois locations.”

Carpenter filed the lawsuit after visiting a McDonald’s location last year in Lombardi, Illinois. The location is one of ten test stores.

The complaint also says, “McDonald’s AI voice assistant goes beyond real-time voiceprint analysis and recognition and also incorporates “machine-learning routines” that utilize voiceprint recognition in combination with license plate scanning technology to identify unique customers regardless of which location they visit and present them certain menu items based on their past
visits.”

In short, the plaintiff is alleging that McDonald’s is violating Illinois’ BIPA law by:

collecting biometric information (voiceprints in this case specifically) without consent;
not making the company’s data retention policies public;
failing to declare how long customer biometric data will be stored; and
not starting how the company intends to use the collected biometric data.

So far, McDonald’s has not released a statement addressing Carpenter’s lawsuit.

Customer Data

How much is one’s privacy worth? The price of a Big Mac or a Quarter Pounder combo?

Guest data and user privacy is a hot-button topic. For example, Apple made big news this year with the rollout of iOS 14.5 and its accompanying privacy features.

Carpenter’s lawsuit against McDonald’s carries implications for how businesses can collect and use guest data.

However, it also highlights an element of operating a restaurant in our tech-driven world.

It has been suggested by some business experts that the adage “cash is king” should be replaced by “data is king.” And yes, customer/guest data is incredibly valuable.

But so is reassuring guests that their data is safe with a given business. Operators, therefore, should be transparent about what guest data they’re collecting and what they intend to do with it.

And, as the McDonald’s lawsuit makes abundantly clear, there are laws governing the collection and handling of guest data. Operators should ensure that they and their partners are handling guest data legally, ethically, and responsibly.

Image: Vijaya narasimha from Pixabay

BMW M cars parked next to private airplane

June 4, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Prepare for a Luxe Life Summer

Prepare for a Luxe Life Summer

by David Klemt

When we think of restaurant and bar tech and platforms, we tend to think of POS and inventory solutions. But what about guest-facing services?

We’re all familiar with online ordering, reservation, and review platforms. What I’m talking about is guest-facing tech that focuses on the luxury lifestyle.

For those living the high-roller life, every convenience is at the tap of an icon, including private jets, helicopters, yachts, and luxury and exotic vehicles.

What does any of this have to do with hospitality? Anyone who serves or courts high-net-worth guests needs to understand how they live and what they expect. This is even more important as summer approaches, vaccine rates improve, and pandemic guidelines relax.

Additionally, there are partnerships and marketing opportunities for operators and luxury lifestyle platforms.

Flight

Flying private isn’t solely the domain of those who can afford to shell out several million dollars for the plane of their dreams.

The proliferation of the sharing economy means people can hop on a charter flight for a fraction of the cost.

Blade

Do you hate waiting in traffic, even if you’re not the one doing the driving? Wish you could just jump into the air and leapfrog a sea of cars keeping you from, say, an airport? With Blade, you can summon a helicopter and make your flight in minutes.

JSX

Formerly known as JetSuite X, JSX serves the western region of America and Texas. If the thought of flying commercial is unbearable at the moment, JSX makes it easy to jump onto a 30-seat set via private terminals for non-stop flights.

NetJets

We’ve all been there: We want our own private jet but it’s just slightly out of reach at the moment (by many millions of dollars). NetJet gives people fractional ownership of private jets and provides top-notch, personal service. The company’s fleet includes everything from six-passenger Embraer Phenom 300 jets to the high-speed, long-range 14-passenger Bombardier Global 7500.

Wheels Up

This company offers three levels of membership: Connect, Core and Business. Wheels Up is more than a transportation app—they’re a lifestyle brand. The company offers membership perks such as exclusive events and concierge services, which should be of particular interest to hospitality operators.

Float

There are a couple of tropes that come along with boat ownership. One is that the two happiest days for a boat owner are the day they take possession and the day they get rid of it.

And then there’s the classic “definition” of a boat: “A hole in the water into which one throws money.”

However, much like one can dial up a helicopter or grab a seat on a Gulfstream, people can now charter a yacht for a fraction of boat ownership. Choose the yacht that meets your yachtin’ needs, board it, and crank the yacht rock.

Float

Any boat that someone uses for cruising, leisure, pleasure or racing is a yacht. So, the yacht life isn’t exclusively for ocean-going vessels. Float lets customers “rent the lake life,” connecting boat owners with people who want to rent boats on lakes. One of the best parts of Float is that it doesn’t, as far as we can tell, cost thousands of dollars per day to rent a boat via the platform.

GetMyBoat

This is a huge platform. We found more than 12,100 boats available in America, more than 4,400 in Australia, and well over 28,000 in Europe on GetMyBoat. Given the size of the platform, there’s a large swing when it comes to rental costs, which makes sense. For instance, there was a 21-inch Sea Hunt Ultra 210 for $44/hour (four-hour minimum) in Virginia and a 40-foot VanDutch Ultra Luxury Yacht for $4,000 for eight hours.

YachtLife

Serving an array of locations with a rather impressive portfolio of boats, YachtLife offers three membership levels catering to various needs. Beyond living the yacht life, the company provides perks and specials from their partners. This platform should be of particular interest to our Florida and Eastern Caribbean clients.

Four Wheels

So, someone grabs a helicopter to a private hangar, looking forward to lounging on the their rental yacht.

Sure, they could take a limo to the marina, or they could use the car service their plane or boat membership offers.

But they could also decide to drive themselves. Obviously, not just any car rental will do.

Turo

There are various Porsches and Mercedes listings on Turo that cost well under $200 a day. But for those looking for something exotic, a Lamborghini Huracan is around $1,000 per day, and an Aventador is around $1,400. You can’t show up to the marina behind the wheel of just anything, right?

Image: Jakob Rosen on Unsplash

May 26, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Remote Restaurant Workers are Here

Remote Restaurant Workers are Here

by David Klemt

When people think of working from home, rarely do they picture restaurant professionals working remotely.

Normally, people associate working from home with desk and cubicle jobs across an array of industries.

A newer technology company is trying to change that perception.

New Restaurant Tech

Bite Ninja seeks to match restaurants with remote workers to online ordering and drive-thru operations more efficient.

Let’s say your business has a drive-thru window. Obviously, someone has to work that window, meaning there are labor costs that accompany it.

As operators know, it’s difficult to recruit, hire and train right now. Some states point to the $300 federal boost to unemployment as a main culprit for the labor shortage restaurants are facing currently, announcing exits to the program.

According to Bite Ninja, remote workers are a feasible solution to labor and cost challenges (at least for some operations).

The tech company trains “Virtual Cashiers” and provides on-demand access to these remote workers.

Benefits

Per Bite Ninja, the company provides operators with several benefits. First and foremost, it would seem, is an answer to staffing challenges.

Obviously, if utilizing virtual cashiers costs less than recruiting, hiring, training and employing their counterpart, that’s a benefit. Another benefit? More staff is available to engage with and serve dining room and patio guests.

On the subject of no-call no-shows, the platform claims that simply doesn’t happen with their remote workers.

While not a solution for every operation, Bite Ninja also claims upsell averages of between $40 and $60 per shift. More importantly, the company says order accuracy through their virtual cashiers is nearly 100 percent. According to Bite Ninja, the average upsell per shift pays for a venue’s hired ninja. If that’s the case and virtual cashiers pay for themselves while making an operator more money, perhaps employees can see a pay bump.

Additionally, the company tracks some key metrics for their clients, including customer volume, order accuracy, and upsells.

KRG Hospitality Takeaway

We appreciate restaurant and bar tech that helps operators lower costs, increase profits, solve problems, improve the guest experience, and increase guest visit frequency.

However, we’re not fans of tech that eliminates a position from the industry and takes someone out of the workforce.

Bite Ninja isn’t a labor solution for every hospitality operation. For those who see the value in remote restaurant workers, at least the company isn’t building robots that eliminate one or more human jobs outright.

Image: Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash

March 30, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

SevenRooms Continues Momentum with CFO

SevenRooms Continues Momentum with CFO

by David Klemt

In hiring Pamela Martinez as the company’s chief financial officer, SevenRooms continues their drive toward global expansion.

This crucial hire continues years of constant movement forward for SevenRooms.

It’s no secret that we’re fans of this powerful, tech-driven platform, in part due to their support of direct delivery.

A History of Growth

What do you do when your erratic schedule keeps you from scoring restaurant reservations? You create a tech-based, flexible reservation platform.

Okay, maybe that’s not what we’d all do. But that is the solution the co-founders of SevenRooms chose in 2011.

It would take just six years for investors to take notice of the company’s potential for growth.

SevenRooms counts Comcast Ventures, Alexa Fund (Amazon), and Providence Strategic Growth as investors. So confident in the platform’s growth is Providence Strategic Growth that their investment of millions of dollars took place in 2020.

High-profile clients include TAO Group, Bloomin’ Brands, Topgolf, Virgin Hotels, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Zuma, and LDV Hospitality. SevenRooms has been the system of record for all F&B venues across the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s portfolio.

Of course, SevenRooms serves independents of all sizes as well.

SevenRooms Hires CFO

Pamela Martinez is the first chief financial officer at SevenRooms. Her role is to accelerate the platform’s already impressive momentum and growth.

Martinez certainly has the experience to help further solidify SevenRooms’ status as one of the best guest experience platforms.

When she was at HubSpot, a marketing an CRM platform, the company grew from $75 million in annual recurring revenue to $1 billion in ARR.

“As SevenRooms continues to grow, I am thrilled to welcome Pamela to our team to help take us to the next level. Her proven track record helping to scale businesses and build out new financial structures made her the right choice for our company as we enter our next growth stage,” says Joel Montaniel, CEO and co-founder of SevenRooms.

Further growth will lead to more solutions and resources for SevenRooms clients. We’re eager to see how Martinez will help expand the platform and its capabilities.

“Despite the incredible challenges hospitality operators have faced over the past year, the industry has remained strong and I’ve been inspired by all SevenRooms has done to help its partners stay resilient,” says Martinez.

Read the announcement in its entirety on the SevenRooms website.

Image: Chronis Yan on Unsplash

February 26, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Self-ordering Kiosks Gaining Ground

Self-ordering Kiosks Gaining Ground

by David Klemt

Ordering kiosks and the convenience they offer have become more commonplace, even before the pandemic plunged its claws into the world.

In addition to the convenience factor, self-ordering kiosks provide guests with a contactless option that keeps them and front-of-house workers safer than ordering face to face.

Proliferation

This technology was on its way from trend to operational mainstay long before Covid-19 savaged the planet and tore through the hospitality industry.

The presence of ordering kiosks at the National Restaurant Association Show reportedly tripled from 2017 to 2018. Quick-service, fast-casual restaurants and limited-service were earlier adopters of self-ordering tech.

It took just a couple of years for McDonald’s, as an example, to outfit thousands of locations with such kiosks.

For several months, industry pros and experts have been saying there clearly defined types of guests with which operators will have to contend post-pandemic:

Those who will comfortably return to restaurants and bars, treating them as they did pre-pandemic.
Those who will return to in-person restaurant and bar visits cautiously.
Those who won’t return to in-person dining until they have been vaccinated and are confident others have been as well.

One can see how self-ordering kiosks appeal to cautious guests, along with those who will use them but take their order to-go.

Types of Kiosks

Anecdotal evidence suggests there are three types or styles of kiosks that are most prevalent: terminals, tablets and tabletop systems.

Ease of function and integration has made tablet-based systems popular.

Toast and TouchBistro are two of the most popular restaurant POS systems on the market, and both offer kiosk functionality. Toast is Android-based, TouchBistro is iOS-based.

Some operators choose to mount their tablet-based kiosks on countertops, some create ordering locations with tablets affixed to stands.

There are also kiosk terminals that are similar in size to ATMs, not based on tablets, and Windows-based.

ADA Compliance

Similar to how it’s important for operators to consider their guests and comfort levels with new (or newer) tech, consideration must be paid to ADA compliance when choosing kiosks.

No guest should feel alienated, excluded, forgotten about, or valued less than other guests. Counter- and table-top ordering devices should be easily accessible by all guests, as should tablet-based systems mounted to free-standing pedestals.

Operators who choose larger ordering terminals must appraise such systems on their ADA compliance. Last week, the Kiosk Manufacturers Association posted a 14-point ADA compliance checklist that end users can use to assess whatever kiosk is under consideration.

Kiosk Manufacturers Association ADA checklist

Image: Kiosk Manufacturers Association

One can read through the checklist in its entirety here, which includes such considerations as:

Depth, clearance, maneuvering and protruding objects.
Assistive considerations like Braille and tactile guidance.
Assistive technologies such as speech-output enabled display screens.
The Big Seven: Captions, contrast, audio, focus, target size, errors and labels

Self-ordering tech and kiosks will continue to evolve and become part of everyday operations for several foodservice business categories. While they may not become commonplace in the fine-dining space, they’re likely to dominate QSRs and fast-casual, and gain more traction in casual and family dining.

Not every restaurant, bar or hotel will benefit from this self-ordering kiosks. Operators who want to implement this tech must consider initial investment, POS integration, hardware, guest comfort, and ADA compliance.

Image: Christiann Koepke on Unsplash