In today’s canny business environment, technology plays an imperative role, especially in the restaurant industry. It underpins an umbrella of operations – from kitchen to accounting, from marketing to customer service, and beyond. In a captivating conversation between Jeremy Julian, a seasoned restaurant technology expert, and Nabeel Alamgir, CEO and Co-founder of Lunchbox, we gain insights into the changing contours of restaurant technology.
The Intersection of Technology and Hospitality
Founded in 2019, Lunchbox is a one-stop solution for enterprise restaurant technology needs. With a suite of solutions, including online and app ordering, catering, order aggregation, loyalty, and a Marketing CRM, Lunchbox provides enterprise restaurants and QSRs with everything they need to manage digital orders and engage guests. Nabeel Alamgir shares how he built Lunchbox to be an ecosystem that seamlessly integrates restaurant tech, enabling connectivity across all systems and enhancing the restaurant operator’s business.
The Power of Data Driven Decision Making
Jeremy brings up an intriguing point about data. With copious amounts of data generated from various systems, restaurants sit on an untapped goldmine. However, the real challenge lies in making sense of this data and translating it into actionable insights. Nabeel shares an instance of how Lunchbox is actively addressing this problem. With over 50+ data points syncing in real-time with its Marketing CRM, Lunchbox empowers restaurants to understand, measure, and act on data in real time. Its CRM is powerfully built to enable automated campaigns and touchpoints based on unique customer actions and attributes–effectively handing restaurants the tools to send personalized and relevant messaging to guests.
The Impact of AI and Machine Learning on Off-Premise Ordering
When it comes to predicting future trends of restaurant technology, AI and machine learning lead the way. Nabeel shares a compelling vision for Lunchbox, where they want to make the first party app really dynamic. With weather-based menus and fluctuating pricing, he wants to customize offerings to enhance the user experience and boost sales.
Navigating the Third Party and First Party Delivery Conundrum
One of the modern-day challenges in the restaurant industry is managing third-party and first-party delivery channels. Jeremy and Nabeel discuss the importance of marrying these channels to offer a seamless experience for customers and operators. They agree that third parties like Uber Eats and Doordash can serve as complementary marketing channels to first-party direct ordering, and operational enhancements can be made, like aggregating orders directly to the POS, to drive smooth processes and customer satisfaction.
The Importance of Health and Wellbeing for Leaders
In conclusion, Jeremy and Nabeel touch on an important aspect of leadership in this industry – health and wellbeing. They agree that operators need to take care of themselves first to be able to serve their teams effectively. They also discuss the need to prioritize health as it reflects on their performance and efficiency as leaders of the business.
In the evolving restaurant industry landscape, the confluence of technology, health, and robust decision-making tools act as the golden triangle for success. With technology making headway into every aspect of restaurant operations, the future seems nothing but exciting and full of opportunities. With companies such as Lunchbox paving the way, restaurant operators are more empowered than ever before to navigate the challenges of today and the ones on the horizon.
