All you need to know before starting a take-out restaurant
In India, takeout-only counters run by Cloud kitchen vendors are gaining popularity, making it necessary for restaurants to manage their takeout delivery operations efficiently. One of the challenges of the takeout business is the unpredictable and fluctuating demand, which often results in guesswork by restaurants to manage temporary staffing or move staff from other roles. This approach can lead to frequent order mix-ups and customer complaints, resulting in poor customer experience.
To address this issue, restaurants in many other countries are adopting automated food lockers for takeout counters, dedicated to takeout customers. This has led to a considerable increase in orders and faster order turn-around time, particularly in major metropolitan areas. One of the main advantages of food lockers is their ability to operate 24/7, ensuring that customers can access food and beverages at any time.
VendNGo is a smart food locker with a digital ordering kiosk, and can be placed in the take out counter of restaurant to manage the take out operations.
This blog post will take a closer look at the use of food lockers and how they can transform the country’s food delivery operations. Whether you’re a restaurant owner looking to improve your ordering process or a business owner interested in adding automated ordering and pickup, this post will provide valuable insights.
What is a food locker?
A food locker is a secure storage unit designed for storing perishable and non-perishable food items. Food lockers typically have temperature control and refrigeration features to maintain the freshness and quality of stored food items. They are commonly used by restaurants, grocery stores, and other foodservice businesses to store excess inventory, facilitate food delivery and pickup, and provide contactless access to customers. Food lockers can also be used by individuals for personal food storage and organization.
Opening a restaurant incurs a lot of initial costs. Costs such as rent for the place where it will be set up, salaries for the staff, raw materials, electricity for all the electronic equipment, etc. In contrast, our food lockers cost in India only INR 2 lakhs at the outset.With a population of over 1.3 billion people, India is a very populous country, and people are always on the go. Food lockers provide a convenient option for busy individuals to quickly grab a bite to eat or drink without having to wait in long lines or interact with restaurant staff.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless service has become increasingly important for restaurants and food businesses. Food lockers offer a contactless way for customers to pick up their orders without having to interact with restaurant staff or touch any surfaces.
How can food lockers solve parking woes at restaurant?
Food lockers can potentially help alleviate restaurant parking problems by reducing the amount of time customers spend on the premises, as well as the need for customers to park their vehicles near the restaurant.
When customers order food for takeout, they typically park their vehicle near the restaurant, go inside to pick up their food, and then leave. This can lead to parking congestion, especially during peak hours. By using food lockers, customers can pick up their food without having to physically enter the restaurant, reducing the amount of time they spend on the premises and minimizing the need for parking spaces.
Additionally, food lockers can be placed in locations with ample parking space, such as large parking lots or outdoor areas, rather than directly in front of the restaurant. This can help distribute parking demand across a larger area and reduce congestion near the restaurant.
A customer could place in a phone order and arrive late for the pickup and the food may become cold and loose the flavor. Delivery partners can overcrowd the take out section and inconvenience the regular customers.Overall, by reducing the time customers spend on the premises and the need for parking near the restaurant, food lockers can potentially help alleviate restaurant parking problems.
How can food lockers make take-out operations better?
Takeout restaurants can use food lockers in several ways to streamline their operations and improve their service. Here are some options:
- Contactless pickup: Customers can order and pay online, and then access the food locker using a unique code or a mobile app to retrieve their order at a time that is convenient for them, without having to interact with restaurant staff.
2. 24/7 access: Food lockers can be placed outside the restaurant or in a shared location, allowing customers to pick up their orders at any time, even when the restaurant is closed.
3. Capacity management: Food lockers can help restaurants manage their capacity by allowing them to store and fulfill a large number of orders simultaneously, without creating long wait times or crowding in the restaurant.
4. Increased revenue: By offering 24/7 access to food lockers, restaurants can expand their business hours and increase their revenue without having to staff additional employees.
5. Food safety: Food lockers can ensure food safety by maintaining the appropriate temperature for hot and cold food items and reducing the risk of contamination during pickup and delivery.
One of the main benefits of Vendn’go Smart Food lockers is their ability to accept a wide range of payment methods. These vending machines support cash, credit and debit cards, mobile wallets, and even QR code payments. And also customers can simply order their food via Vendn’go website in their conveniences at home and pick up from the lockers.
The lockers also come with a range of features that make them easy to use for both customers and businesses. They feature large, clear screens that provide customers with all the information they need, including product images and prices. They also have intuitive touch screens that make it easy for customers to navigate and make their purchases.
Vendn’go Smart Food Lockers are an excellent investment for restaurants that want to provide their customers with a convenient and efficient way to order take out food. Affordable features packed vending machines with prices ranging from INR 2-3.5 lakhs in India make them ideal for any business.
Conclusion
In summary, no matter how much effort and consideration you put into your restaurant, if your food is not at the correct temperature and lacks the freshly baked flavor, it will not make a difference. The most important factor is having the appropriate cooking and holding tools to facilitate your need for quick service and guarantee that every take-out order is both convenient and exceptionally delicious! VendNGo Smart Lockers guarantee that every order will be fresh, safe and convenient.
Every restaurant can add a food lockers with a low initial cost and great returns on investment!
Start your journey with us today!