Future Tech in the Restaurant Industry

                                      Computers in the Restaurant Industry

The industry I chose is the restaurant industry because I have prior experience with it and additionally, I do work for the industry through Door Dash, although indirectly, I deal with restaurants often. 

 Functions of computers in the restaurant industry: 

As a past server, I used a POS or point of sale system, which would allow each server to press in a table order. The computer system was used throughout the entire restaurant to give bartenders drink orders as they were pressed in and additionally to allow the cooks in the kitchen to know what food to prepare as well as how to prepare it. The system was interconnected throughout the restaurant and allowed for the restaurant to run smoothly. Restaurants are highly dependent on this system, additionally, restaurant staff would need to do everything manually if not for the computers capability within the industry. 

With that said, now there are handheld POS systems, self-ordering systems such as iPads at tables, and some fast-food restaurants even have ordering kiosks. 

Why is it important for restaurant staff to be computer literate: 

It is important to have knowledge about computers in the restaurant industry especially because everything in a restaurant is done through a computer system. Even if you are just a cook, you depend on the computer system and must know how to at the very least delete orders, move to the next order, and fix common issues when they arise. If you work in the industry and ever want to move into a higher position, it is also essential because kitchen managers have an even bigger job of ordering and stocking food, which all must be entered into a computer system so that the precise amounts are available when ordered.

Evolutions in computer hardware, operating systems, and networking impact in the restaurant over the next 10 years: 

With AI and computer technology constantly evolving, I think that anything is possible for the restaurant industry's future. According to the FHA Horeca blog page, the future of technology includes things such as “a robotic arm that flips fry baskets to an AI-driven powered virtual assistant and data-driven decisions” (FHA Horeca staff, Sept 28, 2023). For me, the possibilities are endless and could in fact have something to do with AI, as most industries will. I foresee Rosie off the Jetson's as our future waitstaff.

                                                         Reference 

FHA Horeca Staff. (Sept 28th, 2023).  Future of Food Service Technology: Trends for the Next Decade. Blog page 

Future of Food Service Technology: Trends for the Next Decade (fhahoreca.com)