It has become clear that the restaurants that are keeping up with the latest technology are the ones that are excelling in the industry today. The easier the technology is to use for the restaurant operators and consumers– then the better the restaurant can serve.

That is where companies like MICROS come in. MICROs is the global leader of hardware and software for the hospitality industry, specifically point of sale software. The acquisition of MICROS by Oracle was completed last week.

The latest solution created by MICROS is the mTablet. This cost-effective tablet is customizable for businesses in the hospitality and retail industry. This is not an ordinary tablet, it is perfectly visible in sunlight and is extremely durable. It also has a fully integrated payment processing system, and the powerful companion mStation, that acts as a mobile stand.

Businesses globally have implemented this product and already are benefiting from the mTablet capabilities. But how exactly are these restaurants using this new gadget to simplify their business processes?

Seamless Integration of mTablet at Restaurants

The Habit Burger Grill is one of the many restaurants that has adopted the use of the new mTablet. “It is important to us when we integrate technology at The Habit, to make sure we’re not overwhelming the customer,” said Mike Repetti, Vice President of IT at The Habit Burger. The Habit Burger has always had a relaxed atmosphere and they don’t plan on changing that, even when bringing in the most advanced devices on the market.

With tablets being popular personal devices, people are used to using them. So the mTablet’s interface is not foreign to restaurant diners and importantly, it is not foreign to restaurant servers. This makes staff training seamless, because they understand how to use a touchscreen and the MICROs software, already. “Literally, when I did the (mTablet) roll out- the training was ‘here’s the power button,’ then MICROS booted up right up just like they are used to seeing on the cash registers and they logged in with their same logins– the screens were all the same, so the workflow was the same,” said Repetti.

Increasing Customer Service

The mTablet allows the servers to bring the cash register directly to the restaurant guest. The Habit Burger is using the mTablet, both inside the restaurant and outside, by the drive-through. “This gives us the ability to take more orders and speed up the service at our drive-through,” said Darryl Moore, General Manager at The Habit.

During the peak rush times, the mTablet has been especially helpful. Not only does it add another resource to take more orders, but customers are reassured to stay in the long line. The wait may seem long, but a server is interacting directly with diners to take their order, so it won’t be too long. Fast casual gives the customer quality menu options, with the fast service. It is important for restaurants to be aware of their speed of service and to always be looking for options to increase the serving timeliness.

The mTablet is not only used for payment but also, food inventory. “The manager is taking the tablet and as they enter it, it is going directly into the food costing system,” said Repetti. “So they are saving about 20 minutes out of the normal food inventory process.”

At The Habit Burger, the accuracy of meal orders has increased. Previously, servers were using note pads to record orders. Not everyone has perfectly readable handwriting, so obviously, orders were not being put into the computer system correctly. With the mTablet, servers record the order directly into the system and this is increasing order accuracy significantly.

MICROS System is Now on the Go

Consumers are flocking to food trucks, so much so that traditional restaurants are starting to offer mobile kitchens. This is the case for The Habit. With the mTablet, “it allows us to do outside, the same exact thing we do in the store,” said Brian Sanders, General Manager for The Habit Food Truck.

A food truck often attracts a customer that has never visited the restaurant before. With that in mind- if the food truck experience makes a positive lasting impression, then the customer will return to one of the stores next time. A major way to impress new guests is with quick and accurate speed of service. “The mTablet absolutely helps facilitate that by getting the food orders into the kitchen quicker, by helping the cooks not lose tickets and be able to read the tickets in the same way they are used to viewing them, ” said Repetti.

With a customer-facing screen that is user-friendly and has a secure management system to back it up, MICROS mTablet may be just the device to further enhance businesses, whether it is a mobile food truck or traditional sit-down restaurant.