How to manage your cloud kitchen?
The concept of cloud kitchen or delivery only restaurant is gaining increasing popularity in the post-Covid world. Due to safety concerns, diners hesitate to visit restaurants and prefer to order food online. As per Businesswire, the cloud kitchen market is expected to grow by USD 1.18 billion, progressing at a CAGR of almost 19%. The interesting fact is that about 59% of the market’s overall growth is expected to originate from APAC.
Tips to manage your cloud kitchen successfully
Manage orders centrally – In cloud kitchen, customers place orders via multiple avenues such as call centres, third party apps and social media platforms. Hence managing the orders manually will lead to chaos and discrepancies. You need to input each and every order into the restaurant POS. It may also lead to delay in order delivery times. The best solution would be to invest in a digital restaurant management platform. Cloud based systems such as inresto POS aids you in seamlessly processing orders from multiple platforms such as third party aggregators, websites and apps.
Optimise the food delivery operations – It is necessary to ensure that the time taken to fulfil each order is optimum. Invest in automation tools that help you cut down excessive manual efforts. Implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and ensure that everyone is following the guidelines. As per restaurantbusinessonline, about 60% of restaurant operators surveyed said that offering delivery has generated incremental sales. Build your own website and mobile app with options to order food online. Also get listed on third party food ordering platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato etc.
Follow the best staffing practices – Equip your staff to handle the huge volumes of orders during peak times. Also have a proper staffing plan in place. In case there is a shortage of in-house delivery staff, the other employees should be able to pitch in.
Build a standardised delivery procedure – Delay in delivery of orders can tarnish your brand image in the market. The kitchen staff should be knowledgeable about the safety protocol. Ensure that the food is handed over to the delivery staff on time. Also, the drivers should be well-versed in the routes of delivery areas.
Parting Words
We are going through an era where the pandemic has forced us to adapt to the new normal. The tips discussed above will no doubt help you in managing your cloud kitchen efficiently.