8 digital trends for restaurants to watch in 2022
10 January 2022
After two difficult years, the restaurant sector should be back in the black in 2022.
Sanitary restrictions and forced closures in 2020 and 2021 have forced restaurateurs to adapt and find new ways to maintain their business.
This forced march towards the digitalization of restaurants is beginning to bear fruit, and the trend is set to accelerate over the next few years.
What's more, customers have also changed their shopping habits: they order more online and no longer hesitate to pay with their smartphones.
After months of not being able to go out, they want more than ever to enjoy a good meal in a restaurant.
Restaurant owners, now is the time to keep up with new digital trends so you don't miss the boat.
#1 Contactless ordering and payment: here to stay
Social distancing and gauge compliance are a real headache for restaurateurs.
Even when using hydro-alcoholic gel, customers are increasingly reluctant to handle a paper menu or enter their credit card code on a payment terminal.
Fortunately, the contactless payment and the dematerialized menu help to circumvent the problem and reinforce hygiene measures.
By consulting the menu online, ordering or paying from their smartphone, customers feel reassured and barrier-free gestures are better respected.
The volume of contactless payments is expected to triple by 2024. According to Juniper Research, contactless payment will account for 50% of point-of-sale payments within 3 years.
#2 The self-service ordering boom
Whether via a QR Code menu or directly on an order terminal, self-service ordering to take off in 2022.
Visit stand-alone control terminals are ideal for customers who want to consult the menu and order quickly, without waiting for a waiter.
Some solutions even integrate menu personalization to make suggestions to customers according to their preferences: integrated with a digital loyalty program, order terminals offer a tailor-made customer experience.
#3 Click-and-collect and home delivery are here to stay!
In 2020, it was a question of survival for restaurateurs.
With the health crisis, takeaway and home delivery were the only ways for restaurants to stay in business. And consumers have taken a liking to them!
According to a study by Food Service Vision, around 1 in 2 French people have had a meal delivered to their home.
Takeaway sales double their share of total foodservice sales in 1 year.
In 2021, it's definitely part of our daily routine. Even gourmet restaurants are getting in on the act.
In 2022, your customers won't understand why you don't offer this service. Visit Click & Collect has become a must-have!
#4 Digitization is also in the kitchen!
Gone are the days of hand-scrawled, stained and illegible papers. Even kitchens won't escape the new digital trends in 2022.
All orders placed in the dining room are displayed directly on a digital screen in the kitchen, and preparation is launched more quickly.
A real time-saver for teams, with limited risk of error and optimal inventory management.
#5 Build loyalty, build loyalty, build loyalty
Customer loyalty is the lifeblood of the restaurant business.
By 2022, the online loyalty should take off in the sector.
Digital loyalty cards or programs enable customers to be rewarded for all their restaurant purchases: whether click & collect, delivery or even at the table, all spending is brought together in a single user account.
Customers are finally truly rewarded for their loyalty, and can check their points balance on their smartphone at any time.
And for restaurateurs, connected loyalty programs are the way to go. a veritable gold mine to understand consumer habits and offer a personalized customer experience.
#6 Communicating with customers at all times
7 out of 10 restaurants have an Instagram account to stay in touch with their community.
That's all well and good, but there are other ways to communicate with your customers on a regular basis: emails and SMS.
No need to wait for customers to connect on social networks: messages arrive directly on their smartphones.
By 2022, more and more restaurateurs should be on board.
They'll be able to announce new items on the menu, offer their menu as a click-and-collect service, or even encourage customers to return for a visit.
#7 Reinventing ourselves to combat labor shortages
The health crisis has exacerbated the problem of staff shortages for restaurateurs.
With forced closures and short-time working, many restaurant employees turned to other trades after the reopening.
As a result, by 2021, there will be an estimated 140,000 job vacancies in the sector.
So what do you do when you can't find staff?
More and more restaurateurs are opting for digital solutions such as the digital menuordering or payment at the table and control terminals which are particularly popular with fast food outlets and franchise networks. And this trend is set to intensify in 2022.
These latest technological advances enable us to serve our customers just as efficiently as before, and even faster, even with a smaller workforce.
The icing on the cake?
During peak periods, staff are less stressed and can concentrate solely on greeting customers and serving food and drink.
#8 Automating Inventory Management
Food waste is an issue that has been growing for years.
After supermarkets, it's now the turn of restaurateurs to be closely monitored by environmentalists.
Automatic inventory management software makes it easier to manage stock, anticipate replenishments and limit waste. All while saving time and reducing waste.
Food waste is estimated to cost the hospitality industry 90 billion euros a year.. Great savings ahead!
But every crisis has its upside. COVID has left its mark on the restaurant industry, but it has also spurred restaurateurs to reinvent themselves through technology. The restaurant of tomorrow is being written today, and Obypay is proud to contribute to these new digital trends!
