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Tempo: The Future of High-End Restaurants
Sponsor:
Brief:
Envision the restaurant of the future (5-10 years from now) and the role that NCR Voyix could play to enhance that experience
Problem:
High-end restaurants suffer many inefficiencies due to an extremely complex flow of service
Format:
Group
Duration:
3.5 months, 2023
Group Members: Lily Liang, Priyanka Jain, Kareen Yeung
Personal Contribution: User Research | UX/UI | Video Editing
Tempo: Overview
Tempo is an innovative system that seamlessly integrates AI to increase the operational efficiency of high-end restaurants while elevating the customer experience. The comprehensive system includes enhanced ordering & check-splitting abilities, contactless payment, and an integrated task management system.
Product Video
TempoScribe
A handheld POS system with AI speech-to-text for automatic order recording and quick edits.
TempoChime
A wearable task manager for efficient staff task distribution and coordination.
TempoTap
A sleek payment system that allows the table to pay at their own pace.
Components
AI Voice-to-Text
Servers tap on seat to match voice and seat with voice recognition
Voice-to-Seat matching
TempoScribe
Handwriting Edits
Servers can make easy handwriting edits or add special notes to orders
Toggle off AI Voice-to-Text to handwrite
orders instead
Intuitive Gesture Edits
Cross to Delete
Drag to Reassign
Tap to Modify
AI Check Splitting
System allocates items by seat
Voice Recognition distributes items based on guests' spoken requests
Servers can make
quick edits to AI split
TempoScribe
Contactless Payment
The server instructs guests to tap their phones on TempoTap to pay at their table.
2. Pay with card via TempoTap card reader
1. Pay on mobile device
TempoTap
AI Task Distribution
Servers use TempoScribe
→ TempoScribe contains a Task Notification Bar
Other staff use TempoChime
→ TempoChime displays tasks
TempoChime
TempoScribe
Task Notification Bar
The Tempo system sends out a vibration and notification on the bar when it distributes a task.
Current Task
Table
Time passed since task assigned
Pause Tasks
Swipe To Complete
Swipe right to complete. Within 30 seconds of completion, swipe left to undo.
Undo
Complete
Status Updating
Pause to change status to unavailable for tasks
Pause - Unavailable
Play - Available
Server Call Feature
If staff ever find a table in need of their server, they can use the server call button, which marks the location and sends the server to the correct table
Server Call Button
Profile: Achievements
At the end of each day, employees have access to their profile, where they can see a summary of their completed tasks and any awards they've earned. This feature is designed to motivate staff by highlighting their achievements and encouraging continued excellent performance.
Awa
Awards Earned
Awards in Progress
Research
What is High-End Dining?
High-end dining is the combination of luxurious food and exceptional service.
Rising Costs for High-End Restaurants
Workers required to run restaurant
Quick Service
High-End
8-15 worker avg.
15-40 worker avg.
High-end restaurants are disproportionately affected by rising labor costs.
High-end restaurants face higher costs on top of already-demanding service requirements.
Higher Costs
+
1. Complex Steps of Service
2. High Guest Expectations
3. Small Margin of Error
Noma Case Study
"The World's Best Fine Dining"
Announced closure in 2023
"It's unsustainable"
"financially and emotionally"
- Redzepi, Chef/Co-Owner
Fine dining is dying?
evolving
Field Research
Site Visits: x6
x5
Customers
x5
Servers
x4
Managers
Interviews: x14
70+ responses
Questions:
11 multiple-choice
3 short-response
Survey:
Insights
Insight 1: Broken Event Sequence
Since the sequence of service requires tasks passed between many staff members, a small mistake or miscommunication could cause a break in the entire sequence. The result is longer wait times for guests.
A single guest is served by
5+
staff members
Gets Greeted
Gets Water
Wait for Server
Order Food
Wait for Appetizer
Wait for Entree
Eat
Get Check & Pay
Leave
Hostess
Server
Sommelier
Food Runner
Manager
Busser
Less than
28%
willing to wait more than 30 minutes
One person can delay the entire sequence
"Everyone has to work as fast as possible to avoid these miscommunications"
-Sophia, Server at Rezdora
Insight 2: Neglected Tables
While many servers feel confidence in their skills and don't believe they make mistakes, research reveals that there is still both conscious and unconscious neglect of tables, leading to many unhappy guests.
(1) Unconscious Neglect
Perception
Servers feel confident that they can do everything correctly and on time
"We have a 20 step process we have to follow"
“We have a paper that lays them out, but I’ve been here for 2 years ... I’m at your table long before [the time limit for table greeting]”
-Max, Server at STK
vs Reality
Servers have so many tasks to handle that they inevitably make mistakes, many of which they are unaware
Reflected in Online Reviews
(2) Conscious Neglect
Regular Customer Bias
“A lot of the restaurants cater to the regulars over the new-time customers”
Age-Related Bias
“You can tell that they don’t expect me to be there ... or maybe they spend time with other groups because they don’t think I can pay”
-Clifford, Customer
Insight 3: Expectation of Perfection
Since high-end guests are paying so much, they expect not only an amazing culinary experience, but also exceptional service. As a result, mistakes in table service are a much bigger deal within a high-end context.
Customer Expectations of Staff​
-
Taste and know everything on the menu
-
Recommend food and drink (& pairings)
-
Inform guests of foods off the menu upfront
-
Lead guests through experience
-
Timely service
-Kenny and Sonya, Customers
High Expectations Come with Low Margin of Error
“[Customers] don’t think about all the details that were put in to making the whole experience, they will think about what was wrong with the whole experience”
-Rachel, Server at Hilton Seelbach
Project Objective
To use AI to improve the flow and consistency of premium service at high-end restaurants.
Design Criteria
Must Have
Incorporate AI to improve flow
Improve service consistency
Reduce server mental workload
Personalized guest experience
Increase labor profit margin
Should Have
Minimize bad reviews
Nice to Have
Ease in gauging customer satisfaction
Ideation
We generated 56 ideas based on our project objective and design criteria
Concepts
Concept 1: Eliminating POS Terminal
Currently, a server must walk to a POS terminal to record information. Removing the POS terminal in favor of a handheld allows more frequent server check-ins, eliminates time walking to the POS terminal, and allows enhanced ordering and payment capabilities.
Old Flow of Information
Revised Flow of Information
Concept 2: Enhancing Staff Communication
Currently, the POS terminal is only in charge of communication between front of the house and back of the house. This wearable task management system uses AI to expand POS capabilities to communication between staff members as well, making tasks flow more smoothly.
Old Flow of Information
Revised Flow of Information
Old Flow of Information
Revised Flow of Information
Concept 3: Guest Personalization
Currently, Open Table is the only source to acquire guest preferences and it’s disconnected from the POS system. This eInk menu uses a central database to incorporate guest preferences into a more customer-facing feature that enhances the guest experience.
Refinement
Selected Concepts
Testing & Feedback
Confirmation of Business Value
“Splitting checks is always the most difficult task ... the way you did that made it very simple -- better than any system I’ve seen”
“Keeps that table flowing so that the guest has a great experience ... but yet we’re still flipping that table and making money on it”
Anything in the current system that keeps staff on time? “No”
Room for Improvement
“The task manager — that is something very new for the restaurant industry; that is really outside the box. Obviously it’s going to need some reality testing.”
-Max, Manager at STK
“The ordering — Iove that ... definitely restaurant of the future ... I like being able to change or modify it [the order] by pen or actual selection ... and recognizing someone’s writing”
-Max, Manager at STK
Future of Tempo
We laid out a plan for how Tempo would reach the market in the next 10 years. The first and quickest step would be a software version. Then, the hardware for TempoScribe and TempoTap would roll out around 2-3 years. TempoChime would take another few years before becoming part of the system since it requires more testing (mentioned in feedback).
Software Mobile Version
1-2 years
Hardware Product POS System
2-3 years
Fully Integrated System
?
NextGen
Tempo2.0
3-5 years
10 years
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