Adapting, innovating, enhancing the diner experience, and controlling costs are at the heart of the strategy of all the major players in the institutional food service industry in France.
And this is particularly true in the workplace, where remote work has reached unprecedented levels in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and has become the norm for most employees.
Catering services must therefore find offerings that appeal both to employees who come to work at the office and choose to eat lunch on site, and offerings that appeal to home office employees who may be tempted to return to the office.
Innovative initiatives have multiplied in recent years, as at Elior.
His latest project: La Petite Brigade. It’s a meal service prepared in a dedicated kitchen and delivered directly to the site or to a smart fridge.
Smart refrigerators are revolutionizing the way guests eat on-site. Available on a self-service basis, they provide access to delicious, balanced, and fresh meals at any time.
Each fridge offers a varied range of sandwiches, ready meals, salads and desserts, which are regularly renewed according to their expiration date.
Using their badge, guests can unlock the fridge, select their item(s), and pay digitally. No credit card or cash is needed. The items consumed are tracked using RFID technology embedded in the product packaging.
Today, there are several players in the market.
At Innovorder, we've decided to partner with OpenIT Solutions, Pop Chef, and Manger Nu!
They're reimagining the cafeteria as we've known it until now, offering flexible, modular spaces and smart refrigerators restocked daily with delicious meals!
In order for this system to be as efficient as possible, both for the site manager and for the guests, it is fundamental that the way of paying for the order and reloading the guest account be as fluid as possible.
To answer this problem, there are for example 100% dematerialized solutions, such as the electronic wallet (or e-wallet), which can be reloaded online via one's account.
In this context, we allow sites equipped with connected fridges to offer this option to their guests, which always takes into account the subsidies and admissions characteristic of each structure.
A smart refrigerator alone won’t be enough to revolutionize a food service offering. Especially since there are many innovations modeled after commercial food service and consumer habits.
For example, a Click & Collect pre-order system or a “Scan Plateau” feature will make your offering more appealing to guests. These innovations allow you to significantly diversify use cases while improving the customer experience.
Are you looking to equip yourbusiness locationwith a smart refrigerator? Contact an Innovorder advisor who can answer all your questions!
