6 Reasons to Invest in Kitchen Automation for Your Restaurant

While many restaurants have already taken the leap of faith to digitize their front-of-house systems, some operators are still hesitant to make the switch for the back of the house. More often than not, restaurateurs have embraced technology for their point-of-sale and payment systems, and more tech-savvy owners are also automating their kitchen display systems. 

As the heart of the restaurant, an efficient kitchen just makes sense. And with an average return on investment of 94 percent, an automated back-of-house makes business sense for the bottom line, too. However, if you’re still on the fence, here are six reasons why investing in a kitchen automation system just makes sense.

1. Improved order accuracy

By automating your kitchen operations, not only are you improving kitchen efficiencies such as food pacing, but you’re also cutting down on food waste. By controlling the pace in the kitchen, staff are less stressed and less likely to make errors, resulting in time and inventory waste. In fact, kitchen display system (KDS) users believe the technology has improved their restaurant’s order accuracy by 83 percent. And of those, 63 percent perceive the KDS as having a substantial impact on their order accuracy, and another 22 percent say it had a considerable impact. 

2. Speedier service, happier guests

In busy kitchens, even a second can make a difference. A successfully implemented KDS can not only reduce ticket times by upwards of 69% – a significant improvement to your guests’ dining experience – but it can also turn tables faster, resulting in more revenue for your restaurant. 

3. No more paper tickets

Paper tickets are not only wasteful, they’re also easily lost or dirtied, leading to order errors. When a restaurant replaces paper tickets with a KDS, they not only save material costs but also the cost of their staff’s sanity. They can spend more time focusing on the food and wow-ing guests and less time chasing paper. 

4. Maximum operational efficiency

With features such as order prioritization, the automated “safety net,” and more, operators have full control over the timing and routing of menu items, allowing them to be cooked in priority order. No longer are dishes getting cold while others are being finished; all of them can hit the expo window at the same time and provide a best-in-class dining experience for your guests. 

5. Dynamically managed kitchen workloads

It’s no wonder 94% of kitchen automation solution users report a reduction in staff stress levels after a KDS implementation with the technology’s ability to track real-time kitchen data, such as orders in the queue or rushed orders, and manage the influx of incoming orders according to the kitchen’s capacity. 

6. It pays for itself 

While implementing a major technology solution into your business may seem like a hefty investment, the benefits make the investment more than worthwhile. Overwhelmingly, restaurants see an average return on their kitchen automation investments of 94 percent. While we’re no mathematicians, a nearly 100 percent return on investment means the system essentially pays for itself, right?

Don’t waste any more time with inefficient workflows and poor kitchen communication; automate your way to a stress-free restaurant with ConnectSmart® Kitchen. Schedule a demo today to learn more about how this fully integrated back-of-house solution can turn any restaurant into an efficient and tech-savvy hub. 

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About the Author

Caitlin Soard is a Content Marketing Strategist with over seven years of marketing experience under her belt. She joined the QSR Automations marketing team in June of 2022 and has been hard at work improving their social media and content ever since. She attended Franklin College where she received a Bachelor of Arts, focusing in Journalism and Public Relations as well as minoring in English. When she’s not lending her social media wizardry to QSR Automations, you can find her playing Dungeons & Dragons or TCGs at her local card shop, enjoying live local music, or spending time with her cat and two dogs, Ellie, Laney, and Orryn.