The Veggie Grill chain has developed a tech stack that includes computer modeling to improve service time. Its first restaurant in Chicago, where it launched the program, has monitors that allow for order anticipation. As the cashier rings up a guest, the order appears on monitors in real time, so the kitchen starts working on food as it’s being ordered. This allows the chain to cut down on wait times, with food ideally prepared by the time the guest pays. The still-developing algorithm is based on previous usage and ordering patterns; it also monitors the product mix.
- 50 Great Ideas
- 1. Approachable guest education
- 2. Targeted outreach
- 3. Ongoing career development
- 4. All are welcome
- 5. Tapping closures for staffers
- 6. Out with training manuals
- 7. Owner's name here
- 8. Doggy bag collection
- 9. How local is it?
- 10. Cocktail list to suit the guests
- 11. Beyond the blue plate special
- 12. Just Say Yes
- 13. Tapping outside talent for specials
- 14. A pancake a day
- 15. Delivery hot spots
- 16. Keep a card handy
- 17. Personal finance coaching
- 18. High excitement over cocktails
- 19. Buddy system
- 20. Cut the a.m. carbs
- 21. Parka prep
- 22. Champion for retention
- 23. Friday follow-up
- 24. Happy hour for kids
- 25. Old school efficiency
- 26. Real-time predictive ordering
- 27. Charge it up
- 28. Straw education
- 29. Wearable incremental sales drivers
- 30. Iconic expectations
- 31. Getting in front of on-the-go consumers
- 32. Upcycling compost
- 33. Watching the weather
- 34. Viral table
- 35. Explanation-free catering
- 36. Yappy hour
- 37. Discounting desserts
- 38. Tattooed promotions
- 39. Modernizing the rules
- 40. DIY desserts
- 41. Social tour for new sites
- 42. Which water?
- 43. Driving profits with boozeless
- 44. Modern play place
- 45. Mentorship meetings
- 46. Early staging
- 47. Packaged to travel
- 48. Sticking with the theme
- 49. Giving staff a chance to stretch
- 50. Compliance at your fingertips