5 Technologies Changing the Restaurant Industry
1. Touchscreen Food Vendors
Digital boxes such as the MooBella Ice Creamery Machine can produce 96 variations of cool treats in 40 seconds. Another example is Coca-Cola's Freestyle soda fountain has the potential to dispense more than 100 distinct beverages from one touchscreen device.
Who should use it: While cafeteria settings are a natural fit, fast-food restaurants and grab-and-go establishments could benefit from reduced staffing with these machines.
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How much it costs: Prepare to pay for convenience. The machine, made by Taunton, Mass.-based MooBella Inc., costs $20,000, while Coca-Cola's Freestyle is available on lease for $320 per month. From syrup to soda, it costs on average 30 percent more than a standard fountain machine to operate. But that cost difference could be softened by greater demand from customers curious to create their own flavors.
Related: 4 Tools for Turning an iPad into a Retail Workhorse
5 Technologies Changing the Restaurant Industry
2. Tablet Restaurant Management
Busy hosts may like the New York City-based app Breadcrumb, which was created by a team of restaurateurs turned software makers. This flexible iPad app provides real-time views of tables, catalogs the menu by a selection's name or ingredients, processes sales and delivery tickets and sends orders to the kitchen.
Who should use it: New eateries or those looking to completely overhaul their operations would get the most value out of Breadcrumb because it is so comprehensive. But the app will also work with traditional receipt printers and cash drawers.