Technology Innovations Restaurants Should Adopt

To keep up with the industry trends in 2023, restaurants must adopt the latest technology. From frictionless dining to delivery services, virtual restaurants, loyalty programs, and kitchen automation, restaurants that aren’t deploying these technology-driven innovations may find themselves on the losing end of tightening margins and customers willing to service those establishments that offer these features. How can restaurants make this upgrade? 

Digital POS solutions are a must today. Square, an industry leader in the POS space, saw how the pandemic changed the restaurant landscape, and the customer needs that fueled those changes. Bryan Solar, Head of Restaurants at Square, sat down with Barbara Castiglia of Modern Restaurant Management and host of The Main Course Podcast. Solar shared what Square’s been hearing from restaurants on their technology needs and customer desires. 

“One of the things restaurants are starting to feel, inherently, is not only a necessary part of how they’re going to work but also a competitive part,” Solar said.

“For many independent restaurant owners, one of the things they’re learning is that technology, including the point of sale, has got to be working for them, and not just something that’s working in the background.” 

Solar not only touched on technology solutions that can help make restaurants more efficient, but also remarked on the customer habits and needs that are changing with technology.

“One of the things that have dramatically accelerated is folks want to be able to order very easily,” he remarked. Still, Solar cautioned, the digital solutions must meet customer expectations, or they will leave a negative impression that could damage a restaurant’s business. 

Bryan Solar is a Stanford MBA graduate passionate about building tech to help restaurant owners, staff, and customers live better. Solar has led efforts in the online booking space and digital product tools for restaurants since 2016. He joined Square in 2021 and leads product management, engineering, data science, marketing, and creative teams in transformational restaurant tech as Head of Restaurants.