By Austin Titus
In a dream world, each pizza leaving a pizzeria would feature golden-brown crust and perfectly melted mozzarella representing the ultimate level of consistency within the restaurant’s systems and processes. Well, in a tech world, this dream is finally a reality. All it takes is leveraging the right tools.
Gone are the days when team members would shrug off the occasional scorched or undercooked pie as the cost of doing business. Gone are those times when pie crust falls to the floor instead of sliding into the oven. These are the old ways of doing business in the kitchen.
Thanks to modern technology, it no longer has to be that way. And for many of us, it isn’t.
Today, pizza restaurants are transforming themselves with hardware and software to take control of inventory, staff scheduling, traffic flow and more. Tools like digital dough presses and computerized ovens standardize processes, ensuring that every pizza is consistent without the risk of human error. They create efficiency and ensure high-quality menu items.
From the back of the house to the front, modern day technologies are streamlining systems and enabling consistency for tasks both large and small. If you’re ready to update your business with technology, consider these tools:
Tech That Really Cooks
Unpredictable staffing needs and out-of-control food costs can be minimized with software that enables you to pinpoint guest traffic trends and ingredient usage. These programs can analyze and predict peak and down business times to better organize staff scheduling. They can eliminate the need to have people on call “in case things get busy” or to send them home because the big night you expected never happened.
Software can also help you spot errors in menu preparation. If a cook routinely uses too much cheese, for instance, you’ll be alerted and can take the opportunity for training to improve efficiency.
Technology like a dough press eliminates all inconsistencies in dough making and keeps everything on track. It even ensures the dough is at the perfect temperature before going into the oven to avoid bubbles forming in the crust. Otherwise, when team members are handling the dough, there is room for bigger gaps in consistencies because they may use too much or too little of an ingredient. Or they may drop it on the floor or rotate the pie 10 seconds too late in the oven.
As for those desirable lumpy crusts and black spots, digital dough presses and smart ovens are turning out perfect pizzas as easily as punching a few buttons. Smart ovens also help with labor costs because you don’t need somebody tending to the pizzas and turning them the right way. The modern oven allows for precise control over temperatures for even cooking without the inconsistencies associated with manual pizza handling. This results in fewer burnt pizzas and less waste, directly impacting the bottom line.
It’s a big boost for the employees, too. They don’t have to worry that they are going to miss something, turn the pizza the wrong way or burn it so it has to be thrown away. The tech has them covered.
Taking Orders
Online ordering has been with us for some time, but new technology has made it faster and more efficient. A critical enhancement has come from point-of-sale systems that integrate with third-party delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub.
Previously, a restaurant would need a separate POS system for each delivery service and would have to check each one to make sure orders were coming in and being fulfilled. Now, software integrates all delivery services into a single POS. That’s a huge advantage. It simplifies order management and ensures smooth operations. Guests can order directly through the restaurant’s website, which is integrated with the POS, making it easier for the kitchen to manage and fulfill orders.
I see artificial intelligence (AI) taking order integration to the next level. AI tools are being explored for phone and online ordering, offering potential savings in labor and improved customer service through upselling and personalized suggestions.
AI has been kind of a popular buzzword that we’re still learning about, but people are starting to integrate different AI tools into ordering, and it’s a huge savings for restaurants that use it. It lets their employees focus on other tasks that need to be done, rather than just standing there and taking phone orders.
Upselling is another tool I’ve seen alongside AI ordering. Let’s say you order a cheese pizza. The AI tool might respond with “Seventy-eight percent of our customers order Buffalo chicken wings with a cheese pizza. Would you like to add them?” There are so many different ways of using it that I think you’ll be seeing within the next few months.
Where to Begin
So how should you get started if you have decided to move from analog to digital? Most people would say run, don’t walk, towards it. But I lean towards the opposite of what most people say. I say walk, don’t run. And don’t start walking until you’re ready.
While technology can greatly benefit a pizza restaurant, it’s important not to overspend or overcommit. You don’t have to transform overnight; you may not even need every tool you see. Start with one piece of technology, see how it works and then gradually introduce more as needed. Identify areas where technology can provide immediate improvements, such as reducing food costs or enhancing scheduling efficiency, before expanding to other areas.
Technology is fantastic, and it’s extremely beneficial, but it’s very easy to overspend on it. And it’s easy to commit to more than what you need. So, dip your toes into it, find little wins here and there, and you’ll be impressed with what you see.
Austin Titus is president of Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, a growing restaurant franchise founded in 1996 that serves not only fresh pizza, but also pasta, subs, wings and, of course, cannoli. Offering dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering options, it has seven locations throughout Florida with plans for expansion. The brand operates within the family of award-winning franchise brands at United Franchise Group.
