OPERATIONS
How to create meaningful restaurant experiences in a digital world
Panelists at the National Restaurant Association
Show said AI is going to help operators better leverage the data they have about customers to create more hospitality opportunities
BY ALICIA KELSO Executive Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News
T he question of how to create meaningful experiences in a digital age has been accelerating for the past year or so as the industry comes to terms with a new normal driven by tech. Several restaurant brands have invested in finding the right balance, including CAVA and Starbucks. Habit Burger & Grill’s chief operating officer Iwona Alter said in a recent interview that one of her biggest priorities this year is to better understand what hospitality looks like in a digital world. “We have to recalibrate because the hospitality now looks different. What are the meaningful moments of connection that guests crave and yet (while demanding) the convenience of digital at the same time?” Alter said. “There’s art and science to it. We can do it; we can just do things differently.” For Krystle Mobayeni, head of restaurants at Fiserv, Kelly Macpherson, chief technology officer at Union Square Hospitality Group, Sean Feeney, co- founder of Grovehouse Hospitality, and Sarah Grueneberg, head chef and owner of Monteverde, this has been a pursuit for about the past decade. They discussed the topic as part of a panel at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, agreeing that artificial intelligence will play a much bigger role in the near term. “For the past 10 years, we’ve tried hard to marry art and tech to create beautiful magic for our guests and our teams,” Feeney said. “Over the years, there have been cloud- based POS systems, reservations and floor management systems — all layered on top of each other. Looking forward, with AI, it’s going to enhance and empower teams, operations, make healthier businesses
Restaurants are trying to figure out how to balance digital and hospitality | Photo courtesy of Denys Gromov
“If we know this ahead of time, they’re going to feel special and we can do what we do best and maximize their experience while they’re there,” Feeney said. Grueneberg said guests want to be known and “wowed,” and having the ability to interconnect guest experiences when they’re making reservations presents “endless opportunities.” “The possibility to bridge systems together to become more productive and allowing the team to be on the floor and experience face-to-face hospitality is a goal,” she said. “Now, so many times it’s these checks and balances, how do they get celiac information into the POS and to the chefs, and to the runners? There are so many pieces in the puzzle, it sets us up for mistakes, and so bringing those things together is exciting.” Feeney added that restaurants have long had access to a lot of data, but in the next five years, that data will become more empowering — meaning we’ll move from a dashboard system to “something bigger.” “In the next five years, our data will be telling us what we need to do, where our teams need to be, and when,” he said. “Our diners are ready for that. Now it’s getting our teams ready and trusting that this is going to allow them to be the best version of themselves. It’s an exciting challenge.”
and happier guests. We’ll be able to know people whether it’s their first time coming in or their 500th.” AI, he added, is creating a “new frontier” for hospitality in which conversations with guests start as soon as they make their reservation and continue until they leave the restaurant. Macpherson noted, for instance, that USHG has been piloting checkless payments to remove some of customers’ friction. “We’re bringing an Uber-like experience into restaurants. When giving the diners the power to get up and go when they’re done dining … solves a couple of problems. We’ve all been in check jail, waiting and trying to get our checks. And for the staff, it’s stressful because they see people waving them down and they’re trying to do a million different things,” she said. “From a restaurant side, waiting for your check can take up to 20 minutes, so if we can shave off some time, it can add to the topline without adding capacity in the restaurants.” Friction can also be removed while making reservations — asking diners, for example, if they have any dietary needs, or if they prefer sparkling or still water. This eliminates the need to have awkward conversations at the table, the panelists said, and creates a better experience that feels less transactional.
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