Let's face it: the restaurant business is flat-out difficult. Research shows that 59 percent of hospitality businesses fail within the first three years, so if you are going to open a new eatery you need to be sure you are maximizing your resources. Building automation technology (IoT gateway) can play a major part in improving efficiency and boosting your profit. Here are some the of the ways you can do it:
Food preparation monitoring
Overcooking items is not only a waste of food, but it also means it has to be re-cooked, resulting in longer wait times for diners. Undercooking can lead to health code violations and worse, sick customers. But when food preparation is monitored automatically by sensors and alerts your staff when an item is done, you don't have to worry that a dish was pulled off too early or left on too long.
Smart refrigeration
A smart refrigerator can increase efficiency in a number of ways. It can alert you when you are low on a certain ingredient so you'll never have to tell a customer his or her favorite menu item is unavailable. It also monitors temperature so that food doesn't spoil and alerts you to any malfunction in the cooling system. Incredibly, as much as 33 million tons of food are wasted by U.S. restaurants every year, much of it to spoiling—but automation can help you avoid that pitfall.
Lighting and HVAC regulation
Leaving lighting systems or HVAC systems active after a restaurant is closed is an enormous financial drain. By regulating these systems with automation rules you can ensure they are switched off when sensors can't detect anyone inside the building. Unregulated temperatures can also lead to food spoilage, so combining this solution with smart refrigeration can severely limit the food you waste.