Top Questions to Ask When Choosing Event Management Technology for Your Multi-Location Restaurant

Leveraging event management technology within your multi-location restaurant group should be a top priority. Whether your group does events or provides catering services, implementing the right tech features will improve communication, streamline tasks, and simply help you create amazing customer experiences. 

Technology is here to stay

If you are looking for tech to improve your event and catering operations, you are not alone. There is no doubt that we are experiencing a major shift in our industry where tech is crucial to helping restaurants succeed. Approximately 87% of restauranteurs continue to look for technology features to improve all facets of the business. We have put together the crucial questions you should be asking when exploring event management tech to make sure you choose the best solution for your multi-location restaurant.

Multi-location restaurants face unique challenges

First of all, here at Tripleseat, we know about restaurant groups. You have special considerations when exploring tech options for your events and catering. Some may believe that success in one restaurant location can be easily replicated. However, we understand that you have unique challenges that can be overcome with the right tech solution.

Event management technology questions for restaurant groups

1. How does your technology help with communications within and across multiple locations?

Efficient and effective communication amongst your staff and customers at the varied locations is key to your overall success. It can be difficult without the right solution to keep everyone updated with accurate information for all of your events and catering details.

Related questions to ask about communications include:

• Is there a centralized dashboard that contains all pertinent information?
• Is there an email feature for all communication between staff, locations, and customers?
• Are the calendars for event and catering bookings available across locations? 
• Can you specify which user is able to view what information?
• What notifications are used to make sure everyone is on the same page? 
• What communication features are available that will help with efficiency and accuracy?
• How does your system help to communicate with all team members and locations?
• How does your system help to communicate with event and catering leads and customers?

2. How does this solution help with retaining happy staff?

As a multi-location restaurant, you know it can be a challenge to retain great staff for your events and catering. Did you know that 51% of restaurants say staff retention is the biggest challenge? Implementing smooth operations through the use of event management software is key to helping make your people happy. 

Questions to consider about employee technology use:

• Does your software allow me to assign tasks and goals to set clear expectations for staff?
• Is your software easy to learn and use?
• Is it accessible anywhere and on any device?
• Can I customize the experience based on the role of the team member?
• How does your solution reduce errors?
• How can I provide real-time feedback to my team members?

3. How can this software help with scheduling a large volume of events or catering orders?

When you’ve got more than one restaurant running events or catering parties, you have a large volume of both inquiries and bookings to manage. The right solution can help to boost your sales by streamlining your event and catering process.

Ask these questions:

• How do you help capture leads and inquiries?
• Do you offer multiple booking management calendars?
• Is there any way I can allow direct bookings and catering orders?
• How often are updates synced?
• How do I make certain that event and catering tasks are getting done?
• How can I have my various location-specific contracts, menus, and other documents organized within the software?
• Having many events in all locations, how do I make sure my customers are paying for events and catering? 
• I have a large staff. Is there a limit to the number of users I can have?

4. How will this software help me and my staff to save time?

When managing a large volume of events and catering business, anything you can do to simplify tasks will allow more to get done in less time.

Make sure to inquire with these questions focused on efficiency:

• Is your software available with on-the-go access on any device? 
• Can we assign tasks, automate tasks, and send out reminders?
• Does your software accept direct bookings and catering orders?
• How does the tech make contract signing and payment processes easy? 
• Does your technology help make tedious tasks easier?

5. Will your event management platform help my team make fewer errors? 

Keeping things moving smoothly within all your teams and at all your locations is fundamental. Streamlining your operations via the use of technology will mean fewer errors. 

Make sure to ask these questions related to reducing errors:

• How are updates made? 
• Can I specify which user has access to what information?
• How can I make sure my team is using the correct contracts and documentation?
• How do I see what is happening at each location? 
• How do event and catering customers see their details?
• Is your software able to integrate with other restaurant technology in order to make entire operations less prone to error?

6. How do I use this technology to implement consistent branding?

Whether you have many locations that have similar brands or you offer a variety of experiences across your locations, you want the flexibility to market your brand.

Here are crucial tech questions to ask as it relates to your brand:

• How does your software maintain consistency?
• Am I able to oversee multiple locations and brands?
• Can you tell me more about how I can customize documents and emails?
• How can I use your software to send consistent and timely responses to leads?
• Can you tell me if your technology provides reporting that would allow me to make smart marketing decisions?

7. Can your software provide me with valuable data?

Learning from your event and catering operations is vital to your success. Did you know that data-driven organizations are more likely to make more money?

Ask questions like these to find out more about reporting:

• Do you allow individual staff to manage certain things and allow me a larger big picture view of business?
• Will I have access to intelligent reporting and custom reporting?
• Will I have the ability to forecast revenue based on food, beverage, leads, and sales?
• How can I leverage opportunities with meaningful customer and event data?

Areas where event management technology can help

In summary, event management technology can really help multi-location restaurants like you to improve your events and catering operations including:

• Communication across locations 
• Staff satisfaction and retention
• Scheduling a large volume of events 
• Time management
• Details and accuracy
• Branding and marketing
• Intelligent reporting

Tripleseat makes booking and event management easy for restaurant groups

Success in the restaurant industry is dependent on tech playing a central part. Now that you know what restaurant technology requirements help manage events and catering, consider Tripleseat to boost your enterprise business.

We are an industry leader that provides all the event management features you need to drive your event business and catering operations. You’ll manage lots of event inquiries, manage your multi-location catering operations, engage with customers, and report on it all. Schedule a free demo online.