Use tech to enhance connections with guests

​There can be a lot of fear mongering in the news when it comes to new technology and its potential for replacing people in the workplace, or removing the human touch consumers expect from businesses like restaurants . While automation is replacing more repetitive tasks in restaurants, it’s more common for technology to recreate the kinds of work restaurants do — and help them make experiences feel more personal for guests, not less. You can do this in ways beyond mining guest data to send targeted promotions. Case in point: Ford Fry, the founder of Rocket Farm Restaurants, recently told Entrepreneur that he has gone from not knowing what Instagram was to hiring a team dedicated to the restaurant group’s online presence. That has involved tasks like curating Spotify playlists that embody the restaurant brand and are played for visitors to the restaurant’s dining rooms and website. Whether you have a dedicated team managing your online presence or not, how can you use tech tools to boost the connections you make with guests — and the connections they can make with each other?

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