It’s amazing to think of all the bulky technology that many of us now carry in our smartphones, which contain more computing power than it took to land a man on the Moon. Video recorders used to be the size of a small car. Now (for better or worse) we point and shoot. Some of the newer phone cameras rival professional equipment. Smart devices have eliminated much of the drudgework that used to be part of restauranting, though owners and managers are still awaiting software that will wash dishes and clean the grease traps. I guess I’m just too old to take this stuff for granted – I still think it’s cool. Of course my using the word “cool” probably made that point even more obvious.
Speaking of old, I still smile when I call for pizza delivery and the person on the other end of the line immediately knows my address, what (and when) I last ordered, and maybe even my credit card number, next of kin, waist size and musical preferences. It’s like “1984” but with pepperoni.
Cooking equipment is also keeping pace with technology. The magnetic induction cooktops many of us have at home have found their way into local eateries. At Hari Cameron’s Grandpa(MAC) on Coastal Highway, the cooking surfaces remain mysteriously cool as cheese bubbles in the stockpots. Magnets aren’t just for your fridge door anymore. Gary Chorman at Millman’s Appliances in Lewes carries cooktops with integral screens on which the home cook can display cooking lessons with a real chef. I can’t help but wonder if they can also show old Julia Child broadcasts.
A couple of years ago I wrote about POS (point-of-sale) systems that track orders, control inventory, handle employee hours, order food and even generate discount coupons for loyal guests. Caller ID, online shopping cart systems and customer preference tracking have merged with modern software to allow restaurants to blend the ordering process with cellphones, landlines, texts and even faxes (remember them?). In fact, recent trends have brought about order kiosks and table-mounted iPads that eliminate the order taker entirely. Though that particular feature might be a bit sad, it can help restaurants stay alive during this current crisis of finding qualified employees.
A number of restaurants in the Cape Region streamline their phone/delivery orders with software that instantly recognizes you, knows how close you are to the restaurant, knows what you ordered last time (and maybe even the time before that) and keeps you informed – on a map, yet – as your food moves toward you through weekend traffic.
Leave it to technology to make beer drinking more convenient. Many brewpubs and brewery restaurants have software that keeps craft beer fans informed as to what’s available at any given moment. And you can see it in real time from your phone, computer or on a big screen mounted behind the bar. Many craft breweries are small and can’t provide unlimited kegs to their distributors. So, in some cases, when your favorite boutique brew is gone, it’s gone. Not to worry: Software tracks the sale of each pint of beer and extrapolates that information to the quantity of liquid remaining in each keg. It then converts that information into a graphic interface that displays the various stages of emptiness. Restaurants that use all the software features can promote new additions to the beer menu and even allow users to post their favorites.
So whether it’s keeping track of the liquid/fume ratio of your favorite craft keg, asking you if you want the same burrito you ordered last month, knowing where to dispatch your pizza, heating pots and pans with magnets, kibitzing with virtual chefs or tracking gift cards, smart restaurateurs and home cooks are finding that technology can make this business of eating a bit easier to navigate.
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So many restaurants, so little time! Food writer Bob Yesbek gives readers a sneak peek behind the scenes, exposing the inner workings of the local culinary industry, from the farm to the table and everything in between. He can be reached at Bob@RehobothFoodie.com.
