How a kitchen display system can help you serve up an amazing experience and more

By Srishti Singh

Running a successful F&B operation takes a talent for juggling a multitude of variables. And being ready to respond to the various curveballs that invariably get thrown at you and your staff.

Intuitive technology recognizes the unique set of circumstances you operate under. Moreover, it builds in features designed specifically for the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the operation. Helping you and your staff handle it all with ease. All while elevating the experience for your members.

Streamlining your kitchen operations

A smart kitchen display system can quickly become the indispensable heart of a streamlined operation. The system keeps everything organized, so each food preparation station knows what needs to be prepped and in what sequence. Plus it coordinates the orders for your staff, so all dishes for a table can be completed together – and delivered together.

Additionally, the system provides real-time monitoring of orders in the queue, alerting the staff if orders fall behind schedule. In fact, the system allows managers to monitor all elements of the kitchen operation and make adjustments to optimize the workflow.

Since this is an all-digital solution, it's easy to accommodate changes from the members that come in after the order is placed - something that is more difficult with paper tickets. And speaking of paper tickets, imagine never having to contend with those again. No more jumbled or lost tickets (and the late or lost orders that accompany them). No more worrying about the printers going down.

There is an additional benefit to this as well. You'll discover a decrease in food waste by reducing redundant or wrong orders. And you'll eliminate all that paper use that comes with the old-school printers and paper tickets. All of which results in a more sustainable approach for your operation.

Elevating the service to your members

You members will notice the difference that this kind of technology can bring to the club dining experience. It will be apparent in all the little things. Like how all the staff seems to be in step. And how the exceptional service seems effortless.

This is made possible by tying together all the systems – kitchen display system, F&B POS, the hostess station screen, and the tableside ordering system. It starts with the hostess. The system allows the hostess to do a number of things that can set the tone for the experience. For example, the hostess can:

• Get a view of server workload in the dining room in order to balance seating
• See real-time status of courses at all the tables, allowing the hostess to gauge table turnover to accommodate future reservations and walk-ins
• Assign a ticket to the member, reducing the servers work and the instances of servers forgetting to assign tickets

Of course, the tableside service also becomes elevated. Servers can take orders on mini tablets, delivering the order to the kitchen and bar before the server has left the table. The instantaneous connection saves servers from going to a separate terminal to key in orders. Plus it saves servers from running back and forth to the kitchen to check on orders.

Order status and communication from the kitchen can all be accessed through the mini-tablet. As a result, order errors are reduced. Orders arrive at the table 4 - 6 minutes faster. And servers can spend more time on the floor with members, helping improve the whole experience.

That's impressive. But it can still go a step further. When all the systems tie to a club management software solution built on one database, the experience rises to a whole new level of personalization for the member. With the member's information at their fingertips:

• The hostess can deliver a more personalized greeting and even highlight specials that would align with the member's preference
• The server can suggest the member's favorite food and drink, and suggest the way they usually like it prepared
• The server can confirm any dietary restrictions

All of this helps the members feel like this is a place where they are appreciated and belong.

Delivering innovation that surprises and delights

A fully integrated F&B system allows you to deliver the innovations that impress your members.

Imagine offering members the flexibility and convenience of ordering from virtually anywhere and at any time through the website or the club app. Here are a few scenarios:

• Through the website or app, members could make a reservation, access their buddy lists, and invite their friends
• A member could order before she leaves home - reducing her wait time once she arrives at the club
• A member comes off the course and orders before he showers and changes, then finds his order ready for him as he arrives at the restaurant

This all becomes possible through an offering like Grab ‘n Go, integrated with F&B systems that are part of a club management software solution built on one database.

Inspiring continuous improvement

An integrated kitchen display system is at the heart of delivering a great experience. Both today and tomorrow.

At any given time, F&B directors can get an instantaneous overview of the dining room, drilling down to individual tables in real-time to see service levels.

Robust analytics also allow for the review of workflow on any given day and time. For example, you could run a report of all entrees over the weekend that were over time. This powerful insight helps you pinpoint problem areas - from prep to assembly to serving. And it gives you the data to make adjustments in personnel, workflow, and more.

This data-driven approach can help you ensure your operation is on a path of continuous improvement.

The right technology in your F&B operation can make a world of difference. You'll find yourself optimizing your workflow and boosting staff productivity all while giving yourself powerful tools to identify areas of improvement. At the same time, you'll improve your servers' ability to anticipate members' needs. You'll reduce wait times. And you'll be able to introduce innovations that make it enticing for your members to increase their use of your F&B offerings.

The Northstar Technologies Kitchen Display System streamlines kitchen operations and improves member service. See what it can do for you – request a demo, today.