Restaurants are under constant pressure to turn over tables quickly to maximize revenue. Yet slow and inefficient ordering processes can lead to long wait times, unhappy customers, and lost income. Transitioning to digital menus and online ordering through QR codes can significantly streamline service and increase table turnover.
The Benefits of QR Code Ordering for Restaurants
QR code ordering provides major benefits for restaurant operations:
Faster Ordering and Delivery
With traditional paper menus, servers must take time to present menus, answer questions, write down orders, and relay orders to the kitchen. This back-and-forth can eat up valuable minutes per table.
QR codes allow customers to browse the menu, customize orders, and place orders directly into the kitchen system on their own device. This eliminates ordering delays and allows food to be prepared faster. Apps like Tapless Menu integrate directly with the POS for instant order placement.
Increased Turnover Rate
Studies show table turnover can improve by 20-30% by switching to digital ordering. Without having to wait for servers, customers can place orders instantly. Food reaches the table faster. Bills can be paid directly on the app. This means parties finish quicker, allowing more seatings per night.
Higher turnover results in more covers and higher revenue. With quicker table flips, the same fixed costs are spread over more customers.
Enhanced Customer Experience
Customers appreciate the convenience of browsing a menu, ordering, and paying from their phone. Digital ordering puts customers in control of the experience, improving satisfaction.
Apps like Tapless Menu allow customers to customize orders, access nutrition information, and get rewards. This personalization creates a positive brand impression.
Lower Labor Costs
With customers placing their own orders, fewer servers are needed to manage each table. Restaurants can serve more customers with existing labor, increasing sales productivity.
Tapless Menu’s online ordering system lets guests order takeout or delivery directly from their phone, bypassing servers entirely. This allows serving staff to focus on dine-in customers.
Reduced Waste and Printing Costs
Paper menus come with significant waste and recurring printing costs. Menus must be reprinted when prices or items change. New non-disposable paper menus cost an average of $1 each.
Digital menus cost nothing to update. They prevent wasted paper and cut printing expenses. Going green with digital menus also appeals to eco-minded consumers.
How Digital Menus and Online Ordering Speed Service
Transitioning from traditional to digital menus requires some changes to front and back-of-house processes. But the time and cost savings make this tech upgrade well worth the investment.
For Dine-In Customers
With dine-in QR code ordering, guests use their phones to scan a QR code at the table, browse the menu, customize orders, and send items directly to the kitchen. This eliminates the time servers would spend walking back and forth.
Tapless Menu interfaces directly with most POS systems so orders flow instantly to the kitchen printer. Servers are notified on tablets or computers when orders are ready for pickup. This streamlines communication between front and back-of-house staff.
Without having to wait for servers, food reaches tables significantly faster. Guests can also pay right on their phone when ready, making it easy to turn over tables quicker.
For Takeout/Delivery Orders
Customers can also order takeout or delivery directly through the restaurant’s online ordering system. Guests browse the menu, select items, pay online, and input delivery details on their phone.
Orders automatically print in the kitchen without staff intervention. Takeout customers can select a pickup time and get an alert when their food will be ready.
For delivery, drivers are notified instantly on their devices when an order comes in. Integrations with delivery services like UberEats also auto-send orders to dispatch drivers.
Bypassing servers speeds up fulfillment and delivery times. Customers also appreciate the convenience of self-service ordering.
Tip: Optimize Your Menu for Digital
To maximize the benefits of online ordering, optimize your menu for mobile screens and user experience.
- Use high-quality food photos: Appetizing images will make items more enticing.
- Limit wordy descriptions: Digital menus have less real estate. Get rid of filler adjectives and highlight key terms.
- Group by categories: Make it easy to navigate by grouping similar dishes.
- Spotlight best-sellers: Draw attention to your most popular or profitable menu items.
- Enable customizations: Let guests build the perfect order with add-ons or modifiers.
- Integrate upselling: Suggest add-ons like drinks, sides, or dessert based on their order.
Real-World Examples of Faster Service with Digital Menus
Switching to online ordering can significantly speed up service in all types of restaurants. Here are some real-world examples:
- Fast casual/quick service: Eatsa, a former fast casual chain, relied entirely on digital kiosk ordering and pickup. This helped them achieve average ticket times under 3 minutes.
- Casual dining: Applebee’s saw a 10% reduction in ticket times after introducing tabletop tablets for ordering. Table turns also improved by 20 minutes.
- Fine dining: Ordermark helped Michelin-starred Juniper & Ivy reduce table turn times by 30 minutes. Servers can now focus more on hospitality.
- Food trucks: Taco trucks and food trailers are seeing 40% faster service using apps like Tapless Menu for mobile ordering and pickup coordination.
- Cafes: Coffee shops like Joe Coffee have customers order and pay ahead on apps, so drinks are ready the moment they arrive to pick up. This has cut queue times significantly.
Choosing the Right Digital Ordering Platform
To maximize the benefits of digital ordering, restaurants need an all-in-one solution tailored to their needs. Here are key features to look for in a QR code ordering system:
Optimized for Small Businesses
Platforms like Tapless Menu cater to small, independent restaurants rather than big chains. They provide enterprise-level features on an affordable budget.
Integrated Digital Menu Management
A powerful content management system lets you easily build mobile-friendly menus, add images and descriptions, and update in real time.
Custom Ordering Options
Customers can select modifiers, leave special instructions, order ahead, schedule delivery, and save favorite orders for seamless repeat purchases.
Contactless Payments
Let guests pay directly on the app via credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay. This minimizes contact and speeds table turns.
Analytics and Reporting
Track key metrics like order times, customer visit frequency, sales by menu item, and other insights.
In Summary
As diners increasingly expect speed and convenience, QR code ordering is critical for boosting turnover and maximizing sales. By eliminating delays in ordering, payment, and fulfillment, restaurants can elevate service and accommodate more customers per day.
Solutions like Tapless Menu make it easy and affordable for independent restaurants to transition to digital menus. Features are designed specifically to help small businesses punch above their weight.
With smart menu optimization, seamless integrations, and emphasis on customer experience, QR ordering can help restaurants of all sizes dramatically shorten wait times, increase turns, drive revenue, and build loyalty.
To learn more, visit taplessmenu.com