Fast food: 7 tools to keep traffic flowing during a rush
August 26, 2024
A growing queue, impatient customers getting restless, and a kitchen team struggling to keep up. Orders are piling up, mistakes are multiplying, and tension is mounting.
This all-too-common scenario can quickly undermine the efficiency of your service and the satisfaction of your customers. However, with the right tools and organization, you can turn these critical situations into real demonstrations of your efficiency.
By implementing innovative solutions to simplify and speed up order-taking, you can not only avoid these stressful situations, but also offer your customers a smooth and pleasant experience, even at peak times.
We've selected 7 solutions to help you keep traffic flowing smoothly and sustainably (especially during peak periods!).
1/ Optimize the ordering process
In a rush, every minute you save makes a difference.
Optimizing the ordering process right from the start can significantly reduce waiting times and improve your facility's overall efficiency.
Click & Collect: anticipate orders
How does it work?
Visit Click & Collect allows customers to place their order online via a mobile app or website, then choose a time slot to pick up their order at the restaurant. All customers have to do is turn up at the chosen time to collect their pre-prepared meal.
"One of the key features of Click & Collect is the ability to define specific time slots for taking orders, and to limit the number of orders per slot. You can decide to take orders every 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes, depending on your production capacity and the size of your team. This smoothes the flow of work in the kitchen, prevents overloads, and ensures consistent quality."Optimize your production by defining niches
What are the advantages?
✔ Advance preparation : orders can be prepared before customers arrive, enabling better management of kitchen workflows, spreading out orders over time, and offering faster service.
✔ Queue reduction : customers avoid queuing by ordering in advance, which reduces congestion inside the restaurant.
✔ Customer convenience: customers appreciate the flexibility of being able to order in advance and choose their pick-up time, which improves satisfaction and loyalty.
Want to find out more? ➜ Click & Collect: benefits for your restaurant
Ordering and paying at the table with QR Code: efficiency just a phone call away
How to order and payment à table with QR Code simplify the ordering process by allowing customers to manage their order from A to Z, directly from their phone.
How does it work?
From Unique QR Codes are placed on every table in the restaurant, as well as in strategic areas. Customers use their smartphone's camera or a dedicated application to scan the QR Code. This scan directs them to a digital menu specific to your restaurant.
Customers browse the menuThey select the items they wish to order, and can personalize their order according to their preferences. Once they have finalized their choices, they add the items to their virtual basket. After validating their basket, customers proceed to payment directly from their phone. Payment options can include credit/debit cards, e-wallets (such as Apple Pay or Google Wallet), restaurant cards or even online payment services such as PayPal.
Want to find out more? ➜ Discover the complete list of our partners
Once payment has been made, the order is automatically sent to the kitchen with the table ID, pager number or customer's first name. Once ready, the order is brought directly to the table or given at the counter.
For even greater convenience, it is even possible to send a notification or SMS to the customer to inform them that their order is ready, enabling them to collect it immediately without waiting.
What are the advantages?
✔ No more waiting at the counter : Customers can order and pay without leaving their table, reducing queues at the counter.
✔ Service efficiency: Employees can concentrate on order picking, improving speed and quality of service.
✔ Enhanced customer experience : customers benefit from fast service, while having the time to make their choice without stress
Want to find out more? ➜ Catering: everything you need to know about QR codes
Control terminals: autonomy and speed
How does it work?
Control terminals Self-service kiosks are touchscreens placed in strategic areas of your restaurant. Customers browse the digital menu, personalize their order, and pay directly at the kiosk. Once the order has been validated, it is automatically sent to the kitchen.
What are the advantages?
✔ Speeding up the ordering process : Customers place their orders without waiting, reducing waiting times.
✔ Increase in sales : The kiosks can suggest additional items or current promotions, thus increasing the average ticket.
✔ Error reduction : Customers can check their order before confirming it, minimizing communication errors.
Want to find out more? ➜ Guide: everything you need to know about ordering kiosks for fast-food outlets
2/ Control your order flow
In busy periods, efficient order flow management is crucial to maintaining a fast, organized service. Good control of order flow not only avoids congestion and queues, but also guarantees a smooth and pleasant customer experience. Here are a few solutions to help you optimize your order flow management and deliver impeccable service.
Pagers: keep your customers informed without stress
How does it work?
No more running around the room to find "THOMAAAAS", whom you called 15 times, but who was smoking on the terrace (can you smell the experience?).
Beepers are devices that customers receive when they place their order. Once their order is ready, the beeper vibrates, beeps or lights up, informing customers that they can collect their meal.
What are the advantages?
✔ Stress reduction (for customers and for teams!) : Customers can wait quietly at their table or in a designated area, without having to crowd around the counter.
✔ Improving the customer experience: Customers are informed discreetly and efficiently when their order is ready, enhancing their satisfaction.
✔ Service fluidity: Beepers avoid queuing at the counter, facilitating traffic flow and reducing congestion in the restaurant.
"An alternative to the beeper is to set up a push notification system when an order is ready. This is the equivalent of a digital beeper. It's much less expensive to deploy, and the benefits are immediate."Expert advice
Zone layout: Organize your catering for greater clarity
How does it work?
Organize your restaurant space into specific zones to smooth customer flow and improve operational efficiency.
Here are some examples of zones you can set up:
➜ Control area
➜ Waiting area
➜ On-site and take-away pick-up area
➜ Withdrawal zone Click & Collect
➜ Withdrawal zone for delivery (Click & Delivery)
Obviously, these zones can be adapted to suit the size of your room and the space available. Signage plays an essential role in the success of this organization.by clearly guiding your customers to the various zones and ensuring smooth circulation inside the restaurant.
What are the advantages?
✔ Space optimization : Better organization of space means more customers can be handled more smoothly.
✔ Confusion reduction: Customers know exactly where to go for each stage of their experience, reducing traffic jams and confusion.
✔ Increased efficiency : Employees can work more efficiently in a well-organized environment, improving overall service and order management.
3/ Coordinate order picking
To guarantee fast, flawless service, coordinated order picking is essential, especially during peak periods. Flawless kitchen organization, supported by fluid communication, helps avoid errors and reduce waiting times.
Order aggregators: centralize and simplify service
How does it work?
Visit order aggregators are tools that centralize all orders from different platforms (Click & Collect, Click & Delivery, control terminals, QR Codesetc.) into a single, integrated system. This system gathers and organizes orders, regardless of their point of origin, and transmits them to the kitchen in a coordinated fashion.
Gone are the cash register printer, the Deliveroo printer, the Uber Eats printer, ...
What are the advantages?
✔ Better coordination : The transmission of orders to the kitchen is seamless and synchronized, making it easier to manage peaks in activity and ensure rapid service.
✔ Time saving : Employees no longer need to monitor several systems in parallel, which speeds up order processing and improves efficiency in the kitchen.
✔ Error reduction : By centralizing orders, you minimize the risk of errors associated with entering or managing orders from multiple channels.
Tracking screens and digital signage: stay in touch
How does it work?
Tracking screens and digital signage, aka KDS (Kitchen Display System) are tools that enable real-time visualization of the progress of orders. They are placed at strategic points in the kitchen and display clear information on the status of current orders, their priority and estimated waiting times.
What are the advantages?
✔ Better priority management : the screens enable kitchen teams to clearly see which orders need to be prepared first, helping to better organize work and avoid delays.
✔ Improved efficiency : with an overview of all current orders, teams can anticipate needs, coordinate preparations, and avoid bottlenecks in the kitchen.
✔ Reducing interruptions : employees no longer need to constantly answer questions about order status, allowing them to concentrate on preparation.
Faster, without sacrificing service quality
By adopting these solutions to optimize the order process, control customer flows, and efficiently coordinate order preparation, you'll turn rush periods into opportunities to demonstrate the effectiveness of your fast food. A well thought-out organization, supported by high-performance tools, not only reduces waiting times and improves the customer experience, but also boosts your team's efficiency.
Would you like to find out more about how these solutions can be implemented at your facility?
Make an appointment with our team today to discuss your specific needs and find out how we can help you improve your service and maximize your performance.
Want to see how it works in practice?
➜ Find out how our customers Krispy Kreme and Pock'n'Roll have streamlined their customer journey.
