Are you built for speed?

​Are you built for speed?

For many restaurants, speed has long equalled sales. Consider a study from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, which found that every seven seconds a restaurant decreases drive-thru wait time generates a 1 percent increase in sales. In a similar vein, the restaurant chain Veggie Grill recently introduced predictive ordering technology that makes it possible for line cooks to start preparing an order as the guest is ordering it — not after the guest has paid — and has shaved valuable seconds off of wait times as a result. This need for speed will only increase as restaurants cater to millennials, a generation that eats out more often and spends more money doing it than any other generation. FSR magazine reports that faster service could be one of the most important factors driving millennials, who have grown up with the expectation of speed and efficiency when it comes to the products they buy. When you look at your operation’s pain points, where is business slowing down? Do you have slow lines of guests waiting for tables or waiting to pick up orders? Do guests have to wait longer than desired to have their meal served or to pay their check? Start at those points and determine how you might speed up your processes while maintaining the human interactions that help people connect with your brand.