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Boosting Restaurant Efficiency: Elevating Experiences with Enhanced Cellular Connectivity Solutions

By boosting cellular coverage, restaurants can ensure POS systems and kiosks have the connectivity they need to stay online and provide a seamless dining experience.
1/28/2025
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The darkest days of the pandemic may well be in the past, but its impact on the restaurant industry is still apparent in the greater use of digital technology. Go into many restaurants today, and the menu will just as likely be accessed on a smartphone using a QR code or app as it will be through a physical printout. And rather than flagging a waiter over to take an order, customers now often select their choices with a few commands on their phone. 

Statistics reveal an industry that’s increasingly combining digital and physical experiences. For example, 56% of restaurant owners and managers in the United States use QR codes for digital menus and ordering. Meanwhile, the likelihood of consumers downloading a restaurant’s mobile app increased from 17% in 2022 to 24% in 2023. It’s little wonder that 61% of people now use their phone when visiting a restaurant or bar. 

Smartphones are just one element of the digital revolution that’s taking place. Self-service kiosks are also increasing in popularity amongst consumers, with 79% saying that the technology is more convenient for them. Restaurants benefit too, as kiosk users buy 10% to 30% more than customers who interact with wait staff. 

These technologies have one thing in common: they rely on strong connectivity to function optimally. Restaurant owners looking to streamline their operations and enhance the customer experience through digital technology should, therefore, prioritize improving their in-building cellular coverage. This not only provides the connectivity customers rely on to use QR codes or apps, but cellular can also be used as a backup for systems if Wi-Fi ever drops. 

The connectivity challenge

 

One of the key challenges to address when implementing digital technology is connectivity gaps. Wi-Fi has been the go-to connectivity solution for years and is not going anywhere. It will continue to play an important role for a restaurant’s internal operations, such as inventory ordering and emailing. Also, kiosks and point-of-sale (POS) terminals generally run on Wi-Fi (and use cellular as backup). While Wi-Fi is needed for core operations, the solution is not optimal in supporting customer-facing digital services. Here, cellular connectivity has the edge. 

First, cellular doesn’t require users to sign in to a network to connect. Second, it is more secure than public Wi-Fi – which lacks hardware encryption – potentially exposing customer data to risk.

Cellular can also complement Wi-Fi by providing backup during connectivity challenges, as Wi-Fi has a greater frequency of signal disruptions compared to cellular. If cellular coverage is lacking and Wi-Fi goes down, kiosks will remain offline, causing operational delays and slowing customer service. The same applies to POS systems.

Since three-quarters of U.S. adults who eat at fast-food restaurants expect to receive their food after ordering within five minutes or less, consistent and reliable connectivity is imperative. By boosting cellular coverage, restaurants can ensure POS systems and kiosks have the connectivity they need to stay online and provide a seamless dining experience.

Solution: cellular signal boosters

 

In the restaurant industry’s highly competitive nature, businesses that offer seamless connectivity have a competitive advantage over those that lag behind. As the need for fast, reliable, secure, and friction-free connectivity continues to rise, so does the need for cellular coverage solutions. Many restaurants are turning to cellular signal boosters to improve connectivity and enhance the customer experience within their establishments.

Traditionally, restaurant owners wishing to boost in-building cellular coverage had to rely on traditional ‘dumb’ wideband repeaters, devices that capture and amplify outdoor cellular signals. However, these devices extend all signals without discrimination, so quality can be an issue.

Modern, smart cellular signal boosters provide a much more suitable alternative that can be set up quickly. These devices boost cellular signals individually, improving the overall quality of the cellular connection. This true carrier channelized performance optimizes the quality of the signal for all available networks, making sure every guest, employee, and system has the coverage they need.

What’s more, smart signal boosters can be monitored remotely via system integrators. From the restaurant’s perspective, that means they can get on with their core business, safe in the knowledge their signal booster is running optimally and can be managed remotely if needed. 

 

Building a foundation for digital success

 

Quick to implement and simple to operate, smart signal boosters are a vital tool for restaurants in the modern age. Their use will help restaurants shift to digital approaches that boost the customer experience while reducing operational expenses. As such, they are essential for a restaurant’s digital transformation efforts, and organizations that build the right connectivity foundation for a digital-first future will thrive.

About the Author

Stephen M. Kowal is Chief Commercial Officer at Nextivity, an industry leader in intelligent cellular coverage solutions. Stephen is a technology industry veteran who has held strategic roles in sales, channel and global accounts for nearly 25 years. As CCO, Stephen is responsible for the company’s customer and partner facing teams, specifically those focused on sales, business development, marketing, product management and customer service.

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