Emerging tech trends for restaurants in 2022

Technology has sprouted up everywhere in the hospitality industry over the past few years. During COVID, venues started adopting technology rapidly to overcome challenges. This has left a legacy of increased tech funding for restaurants and venues, and more and more entrepreneurial ventures into hospo tech.

This is a great thing for the digital transformation of hospitality, and has meant that the industry is now way ahead of where it could have been if the pandemic hadn’t happened.

For restaurants, bars and venues, there has never been a better time to explore the technology that’s out there and start future-proofing your business with some of these great innovations.

We’re unpacking some of the emerging tech trends of 2022 to watch out for.

Sustainability

In 2022, sustainability is an essential part of being a market leader in any industry. We already know that 88% of people in the UK feel a personal responsibility to help the environment, and this influences purchasing choices across the board.

For businesses in hospitality, this means that tech that supports sustainable causes is a great asset. Platforms like Too Good To Go and Olio are really useful to limit food waste and ensure that stock is sold at a discount price rather than being thrown away.

Considering where you source your food and opting for sustainable producers is also a great idea. With a customisable digital menu like Yoello you can showcase your most sustainable dishes and talk about your food sources.  

Another great way to showcase your efforts is to publish a digital sustainability report using tools like Greenly, BeOnHand and Intelex. This is a trend that we’re already seeing in hospitality, and as University of South Wales lecturer Gaurav Chawla notes:

“All major players within the hotel sector (Hilton Worldwide, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Marriott, Starwood and Carlson Rezidor to name a few) regularly publish their sustainability reports, whilst reporting initiatives undertaken to reduce the negative impacts on the environment”.

Digital tipping

Tips within the hospitality sector are a hotly debated topic. Should you tip 10%, 20% or not at all?

Depending on the service, your customers might like to leave a tip, but with cash becoming a COVID risk and many businesses going cashless, it’s great to use a platform like Yoello to capture tips digitally.

The benefits of utilising this service are:

• You can recommend a tip amount of 10% or above to encourage tips
• This method ensures that all tips are declared and can be split fairly
• It encourages people who don’t have cash handy to tip your staff
• No cash means limited contact between staff and customers, and a mitigated risk of spreading COVID

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Virtual queues

Virtual queue systems can help remind customers of their place in the queue, and alert them once their food or drinks are ready. This method encourages social distancing and also means that people can enjoy the venue or event more fully.

It’s especially valuable for big events like festivals or concerts, where people don’t want to miss out on the action. Platforms like Crowd Handler, Ivvy and even Yoello’s pick up option can help you manage queues and keep customers happy while they wait.

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Open banking

Open banking is a great way for customers and vendors to take control of the payments in a safe and cost-effective way. By utilising API technology, open banking enables vendors to access information needed to take payments directly from a customer’s account without contacting their bank.

With new legislation recently passing that states that banks can’t withhold this information, it’s a huge win for hospitality venues who want to make quicker, safer payments at lower costs.

Yoello is FCA Authorised for open banking, meaning that we can authorise and authenticate payment on behalf of a bank. This saves our clients and their customers both time and money, and enables hospitality businesses to thrive

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‍Learn more about Yoello

Are you ready to put your best foot forward in 2022? Find out more about how technology can support your business by getting in touch with Yoello now.