Using Technology to Address Restaurant Staffing Shortages

Staffing shortages are nothing new, but the pandemic sparked a significant crunch across industries, and restaurants are no exception. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, quit rates in the food service and accommodation industry rose from 4.8% to 6.9% over the year leading into early 2022.

Even though the industry added 1.7 million jobs in 2021, 7 in 10 operators said they had openings they were struggling to fill. There is no single fix for the labor crisis, but the right technology can help you overcome some of the challenges that come with running short-staffed.

If you run a restaurant grappling with labor shortages, technology can become one of your most useful tools. This guide walks through how it can help you handle workforce gaps. First, a quick look at the staffing picture in the US.

Staffing shortages in the US: a quick overview

Finding and keeping quality staff remains the top challenge for restaurant owners. The pandemic played a significant role in driving the labor shortage, and so did the wave of resignations that followed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the roughly 4.5 million Americans who quit their jobs in November 2021, about 1 million were restaurant and hotel workers. That movement showed few signs of slowing.

Beyond ongoing labor constraints, it is common for restaurants to part ways with employees over misconduct or poor performance. Those decisions are never easy, and they hit harder for businesses that run on small teams. Whatever the cause, operators need ways to manage staffing gaps and keep service running.

If you are wondering how to deal with labor shortages and keep your business running, technology can help you work through the crisis.

How staffing shortages affect your restaurant

Working through labor shortages takes creative thinking, patience, and energy. The effects vary by restaurant type, but here are a few common ways a shortage shows up in your operations.

• Waiting time goes up. Guests expect fast service. When you have only a few front-of-house and back-of-house staff to seat guests and fulfill orders, wait times grow, which hurts the guest experience and your reputation.
• Profit margins shrink. A short staff limits the number of orders you can serve, which cuts revenue. Fewer people also tends to push up labor wages through overtime, which eats into your overall margins.

To work through the current crisis, restaurants need to meet staff expectations, and that starts with a staff management model. Offer perks, rethink compensation, and equip your team with technology that lightens their load. Doing so makes it easier to retain staff and gives your restaurant an edge in a tight labor market.

How technology helps with the labor shortage

Investing in technology like automation, machine learning, and AI opens up real opportunities for food service businesses. It takes repetitive manual tasks off your team, improves efficiency, and helps you accomplish more with fewer people. If you run a restaurant, here are a few technology options that can ease the burden during the labor crisis.

1. Point-of-sale systems for ordering

When guests order for delivery or takeout instead of dining in, you need to accept online orders and communicate with customers quickly. An automated POS system removes the need to answer phone calls and streamlines online ordering, so customers can place orders and track delivery updates on their own. For fast-casual restaurants, that means happier guests and staff freed up for other work.

2. QR code ordering and payment at the table

With QR code menus, guests place orders directly from their phones throughout the meal and pay securely online when they are ready to settle up. Shifting routine ordering and payment to self-service lets your team spend more time on hospitality and food, which helps when you are running short-staffed.

3. Self-service kiosks for convenient ordering

Self-service kiosks let customers place and pay for their orders without waiting in line. Many quick-service restaurants have already added kiosks at their counters to speed up ordering during busy periods.

Once a customer places an order at a kiosk, it goes straight to the kitchen. Guests get their food faster, and the restaurant needs fewer staff taking orders, which frees the team to focus on food preparation and service.

4. Kitchen display systems for smarter kitchens

To improve labor efficiency, many restaurants are investing in back-of-house technology like kitchen display systems (KDS). A KDS routes every order, whether it comes from a mobile app, website, kiosk, drive-thru, or front counter, to the kitchen and the POS in one place.

Some operators pair this with location tracking to time preparation, order fulfillment, and delivery more accurately, so food is ready when the customer arrives.

Get through the labor shortage: adopt technology to do more with less

The staffing shortage will not end overnight, but conditions will improve. One of the best things you can do to speed up your recovery is to take a technology-driven approach to daily operations. Equipping your restaurant with the right tools helps you build a flexible workforce and keep service steady through the gaps.

Start where it counts: digital menus, mobile and online ordering, and self-service kiosks all make your processes more efficient with fewer people. Used well, limited resources can carry your business a long way.