The restaurant industry can be a competitive one; but how do you stay ahead of the competition to keep growing your business? After having dealt with thousands of restaurant owners, INKAS Payments may be able to help give you some insight about this. In our conversations with our restaurant customers about optimizing their payment processing systems, we have also come to notice a few things as relates to the most prevalent practices we see them using. Here is short-run-down to help you out:

Sustainable, and Eco-Friendly Practices:

Sustainability is more than a buzzword; it’s becoming a fundamental aspect of restaurant operations. Customers are showing a solid interest in supporting these initiatives; so they may add more appeal to your business if you follow suit. A couple of common practices we noticed from our restaurant customers include: sourcing local ingredients to cut down on transportation emissions; and utilizing bio-degradable or reusable packaging, to help ensure harmful materials are not introduced into our environment upon their disposal. So when thinking about your next big dining experience, consider its environmental impact.

Plant-Based, and Alternative Proteins

The rise of plant-based diets is continuing to influence restaurant menus. Consumers are increasingly interested in plant-based options, not only for health reasons but also due to concerns about animal welfare. In order to satisfy this growing trend we noticed that many of the restaurants we serve have turned to offering dishes with protein-based portions that are derived from, tofu; and tempeh, for example. Remember, not everyone is asking, “Where’s the beef”?

Technology Integration

Digital technology is transforming the dining experience in several ways. Digital menus, and contactless payments have become common-place; but some of the restaurants we serve have also turned to tools such as AI to offer more targeted menu options for their patrons: allowing them to offer things that are on trend. Again, the restaurant industry is quite competitive, so what better way to stay on top of “the game” than by continually offering patrons the “flavour of the month.”

Health-Conscious Menus

Health and wellness continue to be major drivers in the restaurant industry. Patrons are increasingly looking for menus that cater to various dietary preferences, and restrictions; which go to include, gluten-free, keto, and low-sodium options. To satisfy this interest restaurants are starting to incorporate things like superfoods — foods that offer a host of health benefits with one serving — as well as dishes that offer a balanced nutrition profile without a compromise to their flavour. This is a relatively simple trend to incorporate but it is showing to be quite important to follow.

Experiential Experiences

Today, the restaurant experience can reach far beyond the food: now, restaurants are also focusing on creating memorable experiences for their guests while they are in-house; offering things like interactive dining experiences, and on a more grand scale, offering a specific theme to their seating experience. Practices such as these easily help restaurants individuate themselves from the competition: offering them an easy way to stand out in the minds of their consumers.