In our increasingly modern times, it seems that everything is done by either a computer, a machine or a robot. We can order takeout on our phones with just a few taps and a swipe, we can answer work emails remotely on laptops or other mobile devices, and we have all kinds of modern appliances that help us with every task from cooking to cleaning and more. But will machine automation ever fully replace human customer service teams at restaurants? With the new ballot measure to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, this seemingly far-fetched idea might actually be more realistic than it sounds.

This post from the Washington Post looks at the interest in increasingly automated technology in the foodservice industry, and the possibility of someday having robots complete all the tasks at restaurants that humans once did. With labor costs continuing to rise, having robots and other automated systems prepare food, take orders, and present the bill to a customer could be the way of the future. Of course, not everyone is ready to give up human interaction for a fully automated dining experience. Read on for even more about this controversial issue.

Read the full article here: Minimum-Wage Offensive Could Speed Arrival of Robot-Powered Restaurants

What if, rather than reacting to your customers’ needs, you were able to anticipate their needs and meet them before your customer even realized they had needs? “Big data” may be a buzzy term these days, but it’s allowing restaurants and other companies to do just that, especially when it comes to beacon technologies. By using beacon technologies such as customer geo-location, times of the least and most foot traffic, and even purchasing habits can help restaurants to better meet their customers’ needs and provide an individualized experience for each diner that walks through their doors.

This post from QSR Web details the benefits of using beacon technologies via mobile devices even further. Helping to improve the dining experience for customers is one of the biggest advantages to using these technologies, as it can help restaurants to develop more personalized rewards programs and staff their restaurants according to foot traffic data to maintain excellent customer service. Staffing itself is another important benefit of beacon technology, as it can lead to more productive staffing decisions based on food traffic information. For even more on the benefits of these new technologies, continue reading.

Read the full article here: 3 Ways to Use Behavioral Data to Upgrade Customer Experience

While sustainability has become a hot topic within the foodservice industry in recent years, there is still a large amount of waste that occurs in restaurants. From food scraps or leftovers being thrown in the trash instead of being composted, paper and plastic products continuously being purchased even though there is no chance of reusing them, paper towels used for drying wet hands that pile up in restaurant bathrooms, and even the lack of energy efficient products like lightbulbs all contribute to a huge amount of waste for each restaurant location, and, ultimately, our environment as a whole. But there are a few restaurants that have picked up sustainable efforts and aim to be an example for others who may not be aware of the effects that waste can have on our environment.

This post from QSR Web highlights a Missouri-based pizza chain, Crushed Red, that touts itself as being 100% waste-free. Not counting a few elements that are out of their control, such as the way food deliveries from suppliers are packaged, Crushed Red creates zero waste at their restaurant locations. They refuse to use plastic silverware or paper plates, have outfitted their restaurants with hand dryers and energy-efficient LED lights, and compost any food wasted in the kitchen or by customers. Read on for more ways this restaurant has decreased their waste.

Read the full article here: Chef Shortage Leaves Restaurants Vying for Help

In recent years, despite the fact that the recession has slowed down considerably, it has seemed as if the only jobs that continue to grow are those related to the tech sector. Developers, coders and other computer-savvy positions have continued to open up at startups and major corporations alike, while other industries appear to be at a standstill of sorts. Luckily, that standstill is only in our imaginations, at least when it comes to the foodservice industry.

As this report from QSR Magazine indicates, the foodservice industry has seen substantial growth in recent years, in nearly every category from quick-service restaurants adding jobs at a 3.8% rate thus far in 2015, to foodservice contractors and snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars seeing increases of jobs at rates of 6.8% and 6.6%, respectively. Even more substantial than these numbers is the fact that the industry as a whole added over 29,000 jobs in July alone. With such high job growth already in 2015, we can expect the trend to continue as the year rounds out, especially with more seasonal positions opening around the holidays. This spells good news for restaurant workers of all categories, and also shines a light on the demand from diners for exceptional dining experiences.

Read the full article here: Restaurant Job Growth Remains Strong