By: Tyler Wells, ISV & Strategic Accounts Partner Manager, Americas, MicroTouch
Digital menu boards are all the rage in quick service, fast casual, and even some full-service restaurants. Demand increased during the pandemic when restaurants looked for an alternative to printed menus and experienced frequent menu changes due to supply chain limitations. However, restaurants continue to benefit from greater efficiency and accuracy, particularly when digital menu boards are integrated with their inventory management systems. Digital menu boards, both inside the restaurant or outside for curbside service or at the drive-thru, also help customers make ordering decisions more quickly and keep lines moving, enhancing guests’ experiences.
Although providing digital menu board solutions can be a good decision for VARs, it’s not the only way restaurants can use digital signage. Educate your clients about the value of digital signage for these use cases:
- Online order pickup
The online food delivery market has more than doubled in the U.S. during the pandemic and remains the preference for many diners. However, it requires that restaurants find a way to manage the process efficiently. It can particularly be a challenge when drivers from several different delivery services or customers themselves are arriving to pick up orders and staff is busy with other responsibilities.
Digital signage facing parking spaces reserved for order pickup can let drivers or customers wait in their cars until their orders are ready and then retrieve them from self-service portals. It’s organized, controlled, and easy both for the staff and people retrieving orders.
- Self-ordering
Digital signage can be part of a self-service solution that displays the restaurant’s menu and allows guests to place their orders on a touchscreen or smartphone. High-definition digital signage can help to entice guests with appealing images of menu items – often more effectively than a self-ordering kiosk with a smaller screen.
- Kitchen display systems
In addition to improving customer-facing processes, digital signage allows the back-of-house to operate more efficiently. You can provide your clients with durable screens for use in the kitchen that help staff prioritize food prep, ensure proper timing, and track all parts of the order to completion, updating in real-time. A touchscreen can even allow you to eliminate the need for a bump bar – instead, staff just taps or swipes the screen to move an order or item.
- Entertainment and promotions
Popular restaurants often have people waiting for tables. It’s good for business, but it can be bad for customer experiences. Digital signage can keep guests entertained with games or videos that make time seem to pass quicker. Restaurants can also take the opportunity to display ads, share news of upcoming specials, and invite guests to take a survey or join their loyalty programs. Digital signage allows restaurateurs to take advantage of wait time.
- Gaming
Sports betting and gaming are permitted in more parts of the country. Many bars are meeting the demand for this pastime, deploying screens where patrons can browse opportunities to wager or play and larger screens to create an immersive experience.
Learn more about solutions for this application, which can become a lucrative revenue stream for your business.
Explore the Possibilities
Successful restaurateurs are experts at developing an appetizing menu that appeals to their target market, operating profitably, and training staff to provide the best dining experiences. However, they often are not IT experts and may not be familiar with digital signage options available to them or how they can use them in their operations.
They will benefit from your knowledge and expertise to choose the solutions that will help them streamline processes for greater efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and increase revenues. Show them how digital signage can help them achieve those goals – and build your business in the process.
About the Author
Tyler Wells is the ISV & Strategic Accounts Partner Manager, Americas, for MicroTouch. Since joining the company in July 2021, his focus has been on developing sales and implementing the US distribution strategy. He brings over 14 years of experience in the built-for-purpose computer hardware and sports entertainment industry. Prior to joining MicroTouch, Tyler served as the Global Distribution Sales Manager and Manager of Business Development at Mimo Monitors, Marketing and Business consultant for DYT Solutions, and Inside Ticket Sales for Red Bull. Tyler has a degree in Marketing Management from the University of Wyoming.
