Menus of the Future: How Pro AV is Revolutionizing QSR Menus

In the age of technology, consumer needs have continued to increase; the restaurant industry is revolutionizing to keep up.

Quick serve restaurants, or QSR’s, are among the first to implement strategies with the consumer in mind. With over 60% of the global population internet accessible, the mobile generation is accustomed to instantaneous and interactive experiences.

As such, eServices are thriving in a market where introducing innovative strategies is continually rewarded. Specifically, ProAV systems are revolutionizing the industry by providing consumers with their most pertinent demands: increased ease of action and increased speed of action.

Digital menu boards, self-ordering kiosks, and outdoor digital drive-thru displays are just a few of the items the ProAV industry is using to elevate the customer experience.

According to Robert Voorhees, a Business Development Manager with Almo Professional AV, when the pandemic pushed dining outside, restaurants using ProAV adapted, “You find things like outdoor displays, forms of portable audio.”

ProAV is creating a faster, more streamlined process that allows companies to elevate the customer experience and unlocks new business opportunities beyond traditional serving methods.

Highlighting the integration of eServices in the industry, Voorhees said, “I think the ProAV industry has become easily more integrated with the restaurant industry, we’ve seen a lot over the past couple years certainly due to the pandemic but even before that you’re starting to see technology far surpass what most patrons were used to…Now, you’re finding audio and video in nearly every corner in the establishment.”

ProAV integration into the quick-service restaurant and restaurant world is certainly not new, but as it did in many other industries, the pandemic changed the interaction ProAV had with the industry for the better.

Executive Editor of Modern Restaurant Management Barbara Castiglia noted, “Before the pandemic, things were being used to delight and educate customers about all the different things that were available…and covid kind of changed that…now technology is being used for even more different reasons.”

ProAV technology is helping restaurants confront many issues in the business, “They’re servicing their guests but they’re also collecting a lot of data that they can use and it’s helping with the labor shortage that we currently have.”

As labor shortages continue to plague the quick service and restaurant industry, ProAV hopes to be the solution. In a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association in July 2021, 78% of restaurant operators highlighted labor shortage as their top challenge.

One ProAV technology that has already been utilized in many situations is the kiosk.

Companies like WaWa and Panera have implemented kiosks into their businesses while continuing to provide a personalized customer experience, ““I see it as a positive…I think that’s what people like…you being able to order your food exactly as you like.”

Kevin Damask, the Editor of Digital Signage Today noted that kiosks help beyond customization, “Staff members can focus more of their attention on other customer needs.”

“Restaurants are seeing how well kiosks work,” said Damask.

Voorhees, Castiglia, and Damask all agree: ProAV is changing the game.

ProAV can help with labor shortages while also providing an exceptional guest experience. Voorhees noted that using this technology will require the staff to be, “well-trained on how to use this technology,” so that the “guest experience is flawless.”

For the future of expanding business, automating and streaming while still providing the guest with a positive experience, Voorhees remarked, “AV will be a pretty big focal point.”

For the consumers that continue to want easier actions and faster reactions, staying innovative in the market allows ProAV to provide elevated technological solutions, attract new repeat customers, and prosper in the digital age.

Castigilia remarked that in order for the restaurant industry to stay ahead, “The QSRs have to keep up with all the technology now to be able to respond to what their guests want.”