In the restaurant industry, most stakeholders prioritize major tasks, like growth strategies and expansion plans. However, it is the small operational details that can decide the sustainability and success of a restaurant. Payroll confusion, messy schedules, frustrated guests waiting longer than they should - these are all day-to-day challenges that must also be on the priority list of every restaurant owner.  

That’s where NOVA, an intelligent restaurant management solution, plays a crucial role. NOVA doesn’t just automate tasks; it turns hidden complexities into effortless wins. From payroll to scheduling to guest experience, it helps restaurants thrive on the details that matter most.

Let’s check out how NOVA can transition your restaurant into a self-functioning, error-free enterprise.  

The “Little Things” That Aren’t So Little  

Payroll Challenges

Payroll is an integral restaurant operation that ensures employees get paid fairly and on time. However, various elements in a restaurant’s payroll, such as tips, wages, and overtime, make management difficult.  

Overtime Management and Labor Compliance

Overtime management is critical for any restaurant, as the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) requires that all employees be paid one-and-a-half times their regular rate for all time worked that exceeds 40 hours. However, tracking and calculating overtime for payroll can be complex, as many restaurants work late at night or have split shifts.  

Moreover, many restaurants rely on outdated time-tracking solutions that do not accurately track overtime. It leads to incorrect payroll calculations, which can become a hassle during tax filing. It also creates resentment among staff and leads to non-compliance with the FLSA.  

Multi-Role Complexities

According to the NRA, 90% of restaurants in the US have fewer than 50 employees. Hence, in most restaurants, workers have to wear different hats. For instance, an employee can be a host for most of the day but switch to the bartender role during happy hours. It increases payroll complications because each role has different pay grades. Moreover, you must track the hours worked in each role. If not managed efficiently, it can make the manager spend hours on manual reconciliations.  

Tip Pooling and Distribution

Tips contribute a significant part to an employee’s payroll. Therefore, an inaccurate tip distribution can cause employee disputes and a high turnover rate.  A small mistake, say, a $5 shortfall in someone’s payout, might not seem huge at first. But repeated errors create a perception of unfairness.

However, most restaurants do not deploy restaurant operations software integrated with the tip management feature. It means they must calculate the tips manually, leading to constant errors.  

Scheduling Chaos

Working in a restaurant is not a 9-5 job. Unlike traditional office environments, restaurant scheduling involves variable demand and unpredictable traffic patterns. Hence, employees must work in different shifts, timings, and roles, for which they get paid accordingly. It means that managers must manage shifts in real time to ensure the restaurant is neither understaffed nor overstaffed. Optimizing shift management is essential for minimizing the rising labor costs while ensuring guest satisfaction. Let’s discuss some pain points related to workforce scheduling.  

Shift Swaps and Last-minute Callouts

No matter how astutely you manage shifts, some circumstances often result in shift swaps and last-minute callouts. For instance, your bartender can be suddenly unavailable due to a family emergency. When one team member calls out, others must be quickly reassigned to keep the floor running smoothly.

Lack of Visibility

Restaurants that still use spreadsheets to manage shifts have no clear visibility into employee shifts. It leads to employees constantly missing their shifts or managers failing to update the status in real time. Advanced restaurant scheduling software can ensure 360-degree visibility with real-time collaboration and updates.  

Incompetent Guest Experience

In the restaurant industry, guest experience makes or breaks a business. However, the guest experience doesn’t begin when they’re seated; it begins the moment they decide to dine in. Here are some pain points related to guest experience that every restaurant must address.  

Long Waiting Time

No customer wants to wait, be it at the time of arrival, ordering, or payment. When a host says, “It’ll be about 30 minutes,” but the wait drags on to 50, frustration builds fast. Long wait times can occur due to various issues. Firstly, it can be due to inefficient wait-list management. Secondly, a lack of coordination between the Front of House and Back of House teams also causes a delay in preparation. Also, if the restaurant does not implement tableside ordering and payment, servers must go to the POS station multiple times, which increases waiting time.  

Generic Loyalty Programs

Restaurant loyalty programs are a great tool for ensuring repeat visits and enhancing brand image. However, most restaurants launch generic loyalty programs that don’t cater to most of their customers. It amounts to a lower redemption, NPS, and revenue.  

Why Restaurants Struggle with Them

Various restaurants identify the challenges discussed above. However, they are still unable to overcome them due to:

Fragmented and Outdated Tools

Restaurants that have deployed a fragmented tech stack encounter issues with payroll, scheduling, orders, and more. The data between the fragmented tools is not shared in real time, which creates delays and errors. For instance, if order information is not populated in the kitchen display system in real time, it can cause a delay in preparation. Consequently, managers spend hours putting out operational fires instead of leading their teams or improving guest experience.    

Missed Engagement Moments

Every waitlist entry is a chance to build loyalty. Every order is an opportunity to create a relationship. However, without integrated restaurant loyalty programs and guest waitlist apps, these opportunities pass by unnoticed.

How NOVA Makes the Complex Simple  

NOVA restaurant management system simplifies complex tasks related to payroll and scheduling while optimizing the guest experience. Let’s see how:

Payroll that Works

NOVA optimizes a restaurant’s payroll management with advanced features. Ensure accurate wage calculations with multi-role pay rates. Integrate payroll and restaurant POS with the tip management feature and automate tip distribution through pre-defined rules. Employees get paid directly into their bank accounts. Prevent compliance-related penalties by automating compliance.  

Workforce Scheduling

NOVA’s AI-powered workforce scheduling feature reduces labor costs by 15% by automatically mapping shifts to requirements. It facilitates time tracking on remote devices and ensures real-time visibility on the cloud.  

Restaurant Waitlist Management

The all-in-one NOVA restaurant management solution ensures guest satisfaction, even when guests are waiting for their tables. Our AI-native engine sends personalized offers to customers while they wait based on their preferences and order history. Moreover, customers can order right from their phones to cut down the ordering time.  

Loyalty That Sticks

Our smart loyalty programs offer personalized rewards to customers at the right time on the right platform. The AI-powered loyalty program integrates with CRM and marketing to provide discounts on specific items based on item availability, guest behavior, and ordering preferences. Launch marketing campaigns in minutes on different platforms with ease.  

Course Pacing

Serve the meals right with NOVA’s course pacing feature and ensure a delightful guest experience. Set the pace timings with automated prompts like Prep Now or Send to Table. Get AI-based insights, including average course gaps and on-time fire rates, to streamline your service.

Tableside Ordering

NOVA’s handhelds optimize tableside ordering with integrated tip management and payments, ensuring a swift checkout. It not only reduces the wait time but also ensures higher turns. Moreover, the handhelds are updated with real-time menu availability and recommendations, increasing the upselling opportunities.  

Unified Solution

Restaurant POS, kitchen display system, handhelds, CRM, payroll, waitlist management, AI marketing campaigns, loyalty programs, floor management - NOVA restaurant management platform has it all. It means the data flows seamlessly between all functions, fast-tracking food preparation, ordering, and payments, reducing the wait time.

The Ripple Effect of Getting Details Right  

When all restaurant functions run smoothly, both employees and guests feel satisfied, which means low operational costs and high revenue.  

Enhances Employee Productivity

When the employees are paid fairly and know their correct schedules, it makes them feel valued. This, in turn, leads to higher employee productivity. Moreover, it reduces the turnover rate. Moreover, fewer operational complexities mean managers and staff can focus on hospitality, not logistics.    

Smoother Guest Experience Means High Revenue  

Ensuring customer engagement during waiting enhances retention. Giving real-time updates to guests on the waiting list makes them less agitated. Moreover, as they get personalized offers on their phones, restaurants are more likely to upsell.  

Conclusion

To ensure seamless operations and constant profitability, you must focus on not only the larger vision but also the intricate functions. By simplifying payroll and workforce scheduling, you can reduce labor costs, increase employee satisfaction, and optimize productivity. Moreover, focusing on enhancing guest experience leads to a better brand image, customer loyalty, and sales.  

NOVA can help you achieve all that. Schedule a free demo of NOVA and see how it can transform your restaurant operations.  

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