Blog 5

In this article it explains how some restaurants are using software to make the daily decisions that come up in the restaurant. Some decisions are how much food to prepare, how many employees to put on, and what foods to sell. In the past restaurants had no choice but to make informative guesses about these decisions. But now that this software is becoming more popular restaurants will be able to reduce the number of guesses that they will have to make. Taste Buds located in New Orleans was able to reduce their food costs from 31 percent to 27.5 percent and their labor costs from 12.5 percent to 11 percent using a software called Compeat. The software also helps out when changing the menu or trying to have promotions for some items on the menu. For the CEO of Taste Buds running a restaurant without a prep software is not an option. By using this software for prep restaurants are able to lower labor costs because they will know exactly how many people are needed for the amount of food that has to be prepped. In addition to that they will also be able to cut down on food waste because the software uses forecasting to figure out how much food is going to be needed. So instead of the restaurant prepping too much food and having it spoil they are able to order less and in turn waste less. The software also helps out when ordering more food because it forecasts the restaurant's needs using promotions, seasonal needs, and events going on in the area.

This new software seems like a great investment for most restaurants. The money that will be saved using this software seems to be worth the initial investment. Having to guess how much food and how many employees needed has been a problem that has been plaguing the restaurant industry forever. This new software may not eliminate these problems, but it will definitely help reduce these problems. By using this software restaurants are able to order there food based on forecast instead of gut instinct. The great part of the software is that it will take into account upcoming events for the restaurant and the area around the restaurant. I believe that this will be beneficial for a restaurant because they will not go overboard ordering a large amount of food that will not be made. By not ordering the food it will save them waste and money. I think that this software is great but it may not be necessary in all restaurants. In larger restaurants that have many different promotions and events this software would be extremely helpful. But for a small family owned restaurant that has been around for years and has been successful it may not be necessary. This software would probably be more useful in a new restaurant rather then an old established one because they can rely on their past experiences to make decisions on.

Terry, L (2007, October ). Breaking Down the Fudge Factor . Hospitality Technology
http://www.htmagazine.com/HT/archive/1007/1007_06.html

Blog #4

In this article written by George Koroneos it explains how restaurants are now taking advantage of wireless technology. Some restaurants are trying to attract more customers by simply offering free wireless internet access to their guests, while others are using wireless in many other ways. One way that wireless internet is used is through electronic comment cards. Bd's Mongolian Barbeque decided that they were not getting enough feedback from paper comment cards so they implemented an electronic comment card into their restaurant. Now that they have started using this their feedback has risen to 92% of all of their guests. Some questions also enable the manager to be informed when a guest is not happy with their experience. For example if one of the questions were, "would you return to Bd's again after your experience today", and if the guests replies no then the manager is immediately paged and can go over to the table and try to fix the problem. Another wireless technology that is being used in the restaurants is a system that manages guests seating and waiting times. The guests enjoy this service and believe that it helps in cutting down waiting times. Another benefit of this system for the restaurant is that they are able to analyze their average wait times and gather information about repeat customers. The wireless internet also enables the restaurants to use hand held POS systems which also cuts down on order times. Friends Coastal, located in Louisiana implemented a hand held POS system and they believe that it is one of the most beneficial systems they have added. It helps with order times, guest service, turning tables, and makes payment easier as well. Instead of the server having to take the credit card and walk away it is done right in front of the customer.
I believe that it is a great idea for restaurants to be using wireless technology. There are so many benefits to this technology that it does not make sense not to use it. I have been to plenty of restaurants where the comment cards were paper and they came with the check, and I do not think I have ever filled one of those out. But if there was an electronic comment card I would definitely fill it out because it is different and interesting. The great part of the system is the feature that the manager can be paged in response to a question. This allows the restaurant to try and understand any problem that the guest may have had. Instead of the guest walking out unhappy this system allows you to change the outcome to hopefully a more positive one for the guest. I also believe that the hand held POS system is going to become more popular and will start becoming a must have instead of a choice. Some critics believe that the system takes away from the guest service because the server must look down at the screen instead of looking at the guest. In opposition to this the believers in the hand held system say that the guests service goes up because the guest is so interested in the system. This debate will soon be resolved as more and more restaurants begin to implement it. One great benefit of the hand held system is the ability for the check to be paid right in front of the guest. With identity theft being a big topic in our industry this system allows the guest to never lose sight of their credit card.

Koroneos, George (2007 October). Going Mobile. Hospitality Technology
http://www.htmagazine.com/HT/archive/1007/1007_05.html

Blog 3 source

Powers, Vicki (2007 March). Click to Order. HT Magazine.
http://www.htmagazine.com/HT/archive/0307/toc_mar07shtml

Blog Assignment 3

In this article written by Vicki Powers she explains a new online ordering system that many restaurants are now implementing. The purpose of this new online ordering system is to allow customers to place orders within one day of when they want it. This online system helps the restaurants during peak hour times. Charlie's Bar-B-Que located in Texas is now using this online ordering system and it has enabled them to cater to more customers during their busy lunch time. Before the use of this system they were not able to provide the level of service that they try to achieve because they just had too many calls coming in for to go orders. Now instead of rushing customers or putting them on hold they are able to refer them to their website to place an order. Another benefit according to Timmy Yan who owns a full service restaurant in San Francisco is that online ordering is cheaper then paying for a second phone line and an employee to handle it. It is also very important to pick the right online system which corresponds to the target market of your restaurant. For Demerius the owner of Charlie's Bar-B-Que, simplicity was the most important concept that he was looking for when he was picking a system. He wanted the use of this system to be very convenient and easy for his customers. The system also encourages more up selling and more options for the customer that an employee handling the phones would not be able to do. Online ordering is becoming very popular and is very beneficial for restaurants because of its affordability and effectiveness.
I think this new idea is great for restaurants. I have experienced this new type of ordering and it is extremely easy and convenient for the customer. One of the biggest benefits of this ordering system is that it decreases the chance of the order not being correct. When there is a person who is taking the order over the phone there is a much greater chance of the order getting messed up then if the order is done over the system. One of the great features which they talked about in the article was that the customer will get a confirmation call of their order within fifteen minutes of the order being taken. I believe that this ordering system will become very popular with business people because of the high demand during lunch periods. Instead of a business person having to wait on a line when they go out for their lunch, they can pre-order their meal the day before and it will be ready for them the exact time that they wanted it to be. I believe that this system will also help out the kitchen because instead of getting a bunch of different orders at the same time they will be able to already know what orders need to be done at which times. This new online ordering system has many benefits for the restaurants and the consumer. Since it is affordable and it has proven to be effective I do not see why every restaurant would not consider implementing it into their business.

Blog Assignment 2

In this article written by Ed Rubinstein it explains how restaurants are trying to maximize guest satisfaction through the use of more advanced POS systems. With more publicity about the issue of identity theft, guest are not as comfortable with giving a waiter/waitress their credit card and having them walk away. One new POS system that is trying to be implemented is one that is table side. The advantage of implementing this system is that it maximizes time for the wait staff by having table side check printing, credit sales, and tips. This is an advantage for the guest as well because their card remains in sight at all times. One restaurant that has implemented this wireless type of POS system is Bouchee which is located in the Boston Area. The staff is able to use this wireless technology to take orders that go directly to the kitchen or the bar and to complete transactions with the guests. The new system uses VX-670 POS terminals with printers from Verifone. This is all supported by the MICROS POS software. Another new technology that restaurants are looking forward to is the new printers for take out orders. They are not out yet but are close to coming into the industry. These new printers serve two purposes, they print out orders and are able to adhere them to the packages. These new printers can speed up time on takeout and drive through orders which leads to improved guest satisfaction.
I believe that this article focused on an extremely important issue during this time in our industry. With identity theft being such an important issue for many people, these new POS systems are a great edition. I used to be a server at a restaurant and I used to wonder how people feel so comfortable giving a person their credit card and having them walk away with it. Now that many guests have realized what can happen in the 2 minutes that the wait staff is gone with their credit card it has raised concern. With the addition of these new POS systems it will put the guests at ease because the credit card will be right in front of them the entire time. This not only is an advantage to the customer, but is an advantage to the wait staff as well because it will increase their efficiency. In most restaurants there are limited amounts of POS systems which slows down the work flow because it takes time to reach these POS systems and there may be other employees at the systems which causes employees to have to wait. I think that these new POS systems are great and they will improve guest's satisfaction. The article also explained the new printer that will be coming out shortly. These new printers will also improve the efficiency of the restaurant by taking multiple steps and turning it into one. This new technology will drastically improve drive thru's and take out orders. Since this part of our industry is growing so rapidly it is important that new technology is applied in order to keep guest satisfaction high.


Rubinstein, ED(2007, June). Swipe, Print, Sign and Go!. Hospitality Technology.
http://www.htmagazine.com/HT/archive/0507/toc_may07.shtml#

Blog Assignment #1

This article written by George Koroneos describes how hotels have adapted to serve the business travelers that stay with them. Hotels all over have increased technology in order to attract business travelers to stay with them. They have realized that these business travelers need to keep working while they are traveling. New technology such as wireless Internet, fax machines, and printers are now available for the business travelers. These new amenities that are available come at a cost to the business traveler, but if it will help them get their work done then they will pay it. An example of one hotel that has gone entirely wire less is the Hilton in New York. They have been able to put wireless access into every room in the hotel at a fee of $9.95 for 24 hours. These hotels also introduced business centers inside their buildings that allow the guests to feel like they are in an office. These business centers are fully equipped with almost everything a business traveler would need including Internet access, faxes, printers, and computers with essential software. Another feature that these hotels are offering is the printing of boarding passes. These business travelers are usually on a time schedule and they do not want to be held up at the airport. With hotels being able to print put boarding passes it saves the traveler some time and hassle that they would go through in the airport. This feature is very attractive to business travelers when they are choosing a hotel. The last adaption that hotels have made is tracking who their frequent guests are and making sure that they are taken care of. They do this the same way airlines use frequent flier miles, which makes the guests continue to use the same hotel.
I believe that these hotels had to start catering to these business travelers because they are such a large part of our business. By adding these new technologies to our hotels it attracts more business travelers to stay with these hotels. I have noticed this change when I have stayed in hotels recently. Almost every room I have been in the last year has had a desk with an Internet connection nearby. These new technologies have changed the way that these business travelers are able to travel because they are able to work right through their stay. Years ago when a hotel wanted to advertise what amenities they have it would be mostly leisure amenities such as pools, saunas, and fitness centers. Most hotels still offer these amenities but I have realized that they are not advertised as much as wireless Internet or other technologies. These hotels have changed into second offices for business travelers who have to travel frequently for business. I believe that this is only the beginning of the process as well. Now that hotels have realized that this is an efficient way of attracting new customers I believe that there is no limit to what new technologies will be offered in the future.
Koroneos, George (2007, January/February). Catering to the business Traveler. Hospitality Publication
http://www.htmagazine.com/HT/archive/0207/toc feb07. shtml#

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