Restaurant technology: does it belong at the table or behind the scenes?
Behind the scenes, says Robin Vromans of BUNKR in Eindhoven, the first AI restaurant in the Netherlands. That's where restaurant technology delivers the most: usable data, accurate cost prices for every dish and cocktail, and a clear view of your entire business. At the table, technology mainly suits casual concepts where guests spend less.
When does technology belong front of house?
For anything guests use themselves, like the reservation system or the receipt from the POS, the tech has to suit the people you serve. In a casual concept, expectations are different and technology can be more visible. In a place where guests spend around a hundred euros an evening, it fits a lot less well.
Usable data
Make sure the data from your systems is actually usable. Behind the scenes, that's the first place technology pays off.
Accurate cost prices
The cost price of your dishes and cocktails has to be spot on, so you can keep track of everything happening in your business.
Tech that suits your guests
Whatever guests use themselves, from booking a table to getting the receipt, has to fit the type of restaurant and the type of guest.
What we try to do at BUNKR is bring the whole tech experience to the front of house. But I don't believe in that.
Frequently asked questions
What is BUNKR?
BUNKR in Eindhoven is the first AI restaurant in the Netherlands. There, Robin Vromans tried to bring the whole tech experience to the front of house.
Why does Robin Vromans prefer to keep technology behind the scenes?
Because that's where you, as an owner, decide what matters: usable data and accurate cost prices. Trying to bring technology to the table taught him that it fits less well there.
Does technology at the table suit a high-end restaurant?
Less so, according to Robin. Where guests spend around a hundred euros an evening, expectations are different from those in a casual concept.
Where should you start with technology in your restaurant?
Behind the scenes: with usable data and a cost price calculation for every dish and cocktail that is spot on.
Robin Vromans
BUNKR, Eindhoven
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Video transcript
I still find that a really difficult subject, because what we try to do at BUNKR is bring the whole tech experience to the front of house, but I don't believe in that. It really taught me some lessons in just keeping it at the back of house. And in the back of house, that's where, as a hospitality entrepreneur, you can really define what subjects you find important.
So, make sure that your data is usable. Make sure that your cost price calculations of the products, of the dishes you serve or the cocktails you make, are spot on. So you can follow everything you're doing in your company.
If you look at the front of house, or if you look at the guest experience, what we are doing is making sure that the systems we work with and that the guests also use, like the reservation systems, but also when people are using the POS systems and they want to have a ticket, make sure that that suits the people you are serving. So if you are going for a really easygoing concept, then tech can be used more in the front of house, because the expectations, or maybe the amount of money people are spending in your place, are lower, so the expectations are on another level. If you're looking more at high-level restaurants where people are spending something like a hundred euros in an evening, well, it doesn't suit that type of business that well.