8 restaurant technology trends 2024

Technology is a must-have in today's digital age, especially in restaurants. Restaurants are statistically known to be a face-paced environment that thrives on customer satisfaction. However, in recent years, the industry has faced an ongoing labor shortage that has dramatically changed the workplace dynamic. As of February 2023, it's expected there are still over 2 million open jobs in the hospitality, leisure, and food industries combined.

Even though the industry has faced shortages and changes, it has adopted new technology in restaurants that have helped them remedy these challenges and fine-tune their operations strategy.

Here are a few restaurant technology trends we have on our radar for 2024:

1. POS monitoring

Point-of-sale monitoring allows businesses to stay ahead of customer communication, online ordering, and payroll. They even include a suite of features that help with table, employee, and inventory management. POS monitoring software is a must-have for any restaurant that wants to stay ahead of trends and continue to build its company in a digital age.

2. QR codes

QRs grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were the go-to tool for drink and food menus. However, now QR codes can be used for much more than just menus.

Here are a few use cases in restaurants:

Pay and order food to their table
Redeem discounts and offers
To go through a karaoke song catalog
Leave a review

Get creative! The beauty of QR codes is that the opportunities are endless. These are easy to set up in any size restaurant and provide a high ROI, depending on how you use them.

3. Online table reservations

Gone are the days of calling a week ahead to snag a reservation for your anniversary or client dinner. Services like Toast and OpenTable allow individuals to easily book a table for a specific day and time. This means restaurants no longer need to keep tabs on who is coming in, who isn't, and everything in between.

4. Food delivery

Restaurant tech like Uber, Postmates, and DoorDash have changed how individuals order food. These tools make it easy for individuals to track their order from start to finish, giving them the peace of mind they need to know their food is in good times.

They also don't need to have cash on hand to give to the delivery driver or phone their order in advance. Everything is taken care of for them. This technology is great for restaurants that don't have the time to keep track of deliveries or have their own delivery driver.

5. Inventory management services

Business owners and managers no longer need to spend countless hours tracking their leftovers and placing inventory orders. With artificial intelligence and automation tools, restaurants can stay ahead of reorders and digitally track stock quickly and efficiently. These tools also help reduce food waste and help restaurants save time and money.

6. Karaoke software

If you're looking for a fun and effective way to drive revenue and increase sales, consider investing in karaoke software. This software is designed to entertain customers and provide them with a fun, inviting space to enjoy some good ol' fashion karaoke with friends, family, and coworkers. Whether it's a karaoke setup or karaoke rooms, you'll need software to ensure your customers have what they need to keep the party going without disrupting your employees.

Software like Singa for Business provides a next-level karaoke experience that caters to your customer's needs. Whenever customers come in for karaoke night or to rent a private karaoke room, you'll also see an increase in alcohol and food sales. Karaoke works best when it's paired with QR codes and contactless payments. This provides a seamless customer experience that requires little to no hands-on work from your servers.

7. Contactless payment

Since the pandemic, contactless payments have grown in popularity. It's one of the easiest, most efficient ways to accept payments in the restaurant industry. The tap-to-pay technology is also safe, reliable, and secure, compared to traditional payment methods.

Offering this as a form of payment gives customers the peace of mind they need to continue eating at your restaurant without worrying about fraudulent purchases or suspicious activity on their cards. This shift towards contactless payment also enables NFC-enabled smartphone technology like Apple Pay.

8. Digital loyalty programs

A loyal customer is worth more than just a one-time purchaser. With a digital loyalty program, you can reward customers that eat at your restaurant. Whether it's a discount or a free item - these small gifts can drive an ROI and increase your customer's lifetime over time. Here are a few ways to create a loyalty program for your restaurant:

Create a point system
Reward loyal customers on their birthdays
Send out discounts, offers, and deals to customers after a recent purchase
Social media contest

Upgrade your restaurant with Singa

Technology trends come and go. Every year, there's a new set of restaurant tech, trends, and products that have the power to take restaurant operations to the next level. With the help of restaurant technology, you can simplify the workplace and give your team time back in their day to focus on cooking delicious food, making drinks, and improving the customer experience.

While you search for the perfect POS management service or create a digital loyalty program, consider also hosting karaoke in your restaurant, nightclub, or bar. If you have the space to do it, you can drive sales and continue to build your business.