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The Impact of Tableside Ordering for Restaurants

People using phones for tableside ordering at a restaurant.
Idil Aras
Idil Aras
August 7, 2023

In today's fast-paced world, customers expect fast and efficient service when dining out. Restaurants constantly seek new and innovative ways to offer their customers a smooth and enjoyable dining experience. Tableside ordering for restaurants is one such innovative solution that has recently gained popularity in the restaurant industry. Tableside ordering is a system where customers can order directly from their tableside using technologies such as mobile devices or tablets. This blog post explores the impact and benefits of tableside ordering for restaurants.

Benefits of Tableside Ordering:

Tableside ordering provides several benefits to restaurants, including increased efficiency, improved customer experience, and increased revenue. Let’s dive into each of these benefits in more detail:

Increased Efficiency:

Tableside ordering has been shown to increase productivity in the restaurant industry significantly. The tableside ordering system significantly increases restaurant efficiency and reduces ordering time to 10 minutes. This reduced ordering time allows restaurants to serve more customers simultaneously, significantly increasing table turnover.

    Tableside ordering eliminates the need for waiters to manually enter orders into a POS system, reducing the chance of order errors. Restaurants using tableside ordering systems saw a 15% reduction in ordering errors compared to traditional ordering methods. This reduction in order errors leads to increased customer satisfaction and repeat business.

    Tableside ordering systems often have features like real-time menu updates, inventory tracking, and quick product search, further streamlining the ordering process. With these features, restaurants are able to offer the most up-to-date menu items and accurately track inventory levels.

Improved Customer Experience:

Tableside ordering provides customers with an interactive and engaging dining experience. Customers using Tableside ordering systems rate the overall dining experience higher than customers using traditional ordering methods.

    Customers appreciate the ease and speed of ordering at the tableside and the ability to view menu items, images, and ingredient lists on a tablet or mobile device.

    Tableside ordering also provides a more comfortable and enjoyable dining experience by eliminating the need for waiting, as it provides convenience in terms of payment. A study shows that Tableside ordering improves customer experience by reducing the error rate and enabling instant ordering.

    Tableside ordering systems often include additional selling features such as recommended menu items, specials, and add-ons, giving customers more choices and increasing the likelihood of larger orders. This can significantly increase the average check size and increase restaurant revenue.

Chris Gian, Manager of Cafe Sanuki, Las Vegas, said, “We’ve increased our sales and tips by 20-30% using FineDine. Without FineDine, my business wouldn’t have gone so well.”

Increased Revenue:

Ordering at the tableside has been shown to increase revenue for restaurants significantly. A study conducted by FineDine found that restaurants using tableside ordering systems saw a 10% increase in average check size compared to traditional ordering methods. This increase in average check size is largely due to additional selling features included in tableside ordering systems, such as recommended menu items, specials, and add-ons. Tableside ordering eliminates errors and improves order accuracy, increasing customer satisfaction and repeat business.

    Tableside ordering systems can increase tableside turnover by reducing the time required to place an order.

    This allows restaurants to serve more customers simultaneously, resulting in increased revenue.

    FineDine found that restaurants using tableside ordering systems saw a 5% increase in table turnover compared to traditional ordering methods.

How to Implement Tableside Ordering in Your Restaurant:

Implementing tableside ordering in your restaurant can seem daunting, but it can be a seamless and straightforward process with the right technology. One popular solution for tableside ordering is FineDine, an all-in-one platform offering various features to help restaurants streamline their ordering and payment processes.

Here are some steps to help you get started with tableside ordering in your restaurant using FineDine:

1. Choose your hardware: 

FineDine works with various tablet and mobile devices so that you can choose the best hardware for your restaurant. Consider portability, battery life, and screen size when selecting your hardware.

2. Set up your menu:

FineDine makes it easy to set up your menu, with options for menu item descriptions, images, and ingredient lists. You can also update your menu in real-time, making it easy to reflect changes in menu items and pricing.

3. Train your staff:

FineDine provides detailed training materials to help your staff get up to speed with the new system. This includes step-by-step instructions for using the platform and providing customers with an exceptional tableside ordering experience.

4. Roll out the system: 

Once you’ve set up your hardware and trained your staff, it’s time to roll out your tableside ordering system. This can be done gradually, starting with a few tables or even just one, to allow you to assess the impact on your restaurant’s operations.

5. Monitor and adjust: 

As you start with tableside ordering, monitor the system and make any necessary adjustments. This might include adjusting menu item pricing, fine-tuning upselling features, or making changes to the platform to meet the unique needs of your restaurant.

Following these steps, you can quickly and easily implement tableside ordering in your restaurant using FineDine. With its features and ease of use, FineDine is a valuable solution for any restaurant looking to streamline its ordering and payment processes.

In conclusion, tableside ordering is a valuable solution for restaurants looking to improve the customer experience and increase revenue. By implementing tableside ordering using FineDine, you can ensure that your restaurant stays ahead in a competitive industry and provides an exceptional dining experience for your customers.