Operating a restaurant is hard work. Restaurant owners often work long hours, weekends, and holidays so people can enjoy meals at their establishments. The COVID-19 pandemic was very harsh to the hospitality industry, and specifically hard on restaurants, but there are some silver linings. Due to the pandemic, restaurants have implemented digital signage en masse, and as a result, they’ve experienced many unexpected benefits. Here are five creative ways restaurants are using digital signage today.

1. Specials and Promotions

Restaurants are constantly changing pricing, menu items, and promotions. Restaurant owners are using digital signage software to simplify the process of updating specials and promotions. Reprinting menus isn’t cost effective or sustainable. Digital signage provides restaurant owners with a scalable, sustainable, and easy solution for displaying lunch and dinner specials. LEARN MORE about the benefits of using digital signage for specials and promotions in restaurants. 

2. Restaurant History

There are often rich histories behind successful restaurants. Family recipes are passed down from generation to generation, and each restaurant has its own unique story. Digital signage is commonly used for displaying the history of restaurants and illustrating their stories. Slideshows, old photos, videos, and even timelines are used to give diners a greater understanding of each restaurant’s history.

3. Interactive Digital Signage 

Restaurants are using interactive digital signage to get more engagement from their customers, and to keep them entertained while they wait for food to come out. Interactive digital signage allows diners to order food, play games, browse through digital content, and even pay their bills. Allowing diners to take more control over their experiences leads to greater levels of satisfaction, and it takes some work off of the wait staffs’ plate. 

4. Food Reviews and Ratings

Reviews from sites like Yelp, Facebook, and Google My Business are great tools for consumers to identify the best places to eat. Restaurants are using digital signage to leverage positive customer reviews for attracting customers. Photos of menu items along with short reviews of dining experiences help customers decide what they want to order, and reviews can be updated automatically if that’s how you’d like to display them. Restaurants also use digital signage software in conjunction with review sites to moderate negative or false reviews.

5. Realtime Order and Wait time Updates

Customers want to know how long they need to wait for a table, what place they are in line, and when their food will be ready. Restaurants use digital signage to keep them updated in real time. Some even go so far as to livestream cooks preparing their food. Customers can clearly see when their food will be ready and how long they need to wait for a table, and the waitstaff can make adjustments as needed.

6. Internal Communication

Complicated orders, hungry customers, and limited ingredients make it tough to get the right food out quickly. Restaurant staff use digital signage to communicate more efficiently, so everyone knows if a certain ingredient has run out, if someone is out sick for the day, or if a table has been waiting too long for food. Digital signage allows staff to work more efficiently, and it also gives them better information to set customer expectations.

Improve Customer Experience and Drive Sales

Operating a restaurant is hard work, but technology continues to make things easier. Digital signage is an important tool restaurants use to improve communication and engagement with their customers. It’s also a great tool for driving sales of promotional menu items and getting more customers through the door.