QSR Automations, a provider of in-store, online, and mobile technology solutions for restaurant businesses worldwide, will debut the DineTime solution at the 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (NRA), held May 18 to 21 in Chicago.  Featured at NRA along with the DineTime iPad apps for managing waiting and seated guests are QSR’s ConnectSmart guest management solutions.  DineTime leverages QSR’s extensive experience in helping casual- and fine-dining operators to maximize efficiencies and delight guests through its ConnectSmart kitchen display, recipe viewer, table management, and reservations solutions.

Established in 1996, QSR is a recognized leader in kitchen display technologies for all types of restaurants around the world.  Based on QSR’s research, more than 65 percent of the top 25 U.S. casual dining chain restaurants rely on QSR’s kitchen display software and hardware.  To help casual and fine dining restaurants further optimize quality, ticket times, and guest loyalty, in 2005 QSR began adding in-store, online, and mobile table management and reservations options to its ConnectSmart solution.

“Now we are capitalizing on our years of experience working with diverse casual- and fine-dining operators to offer the DineTime solution, which provides truly unique iPad apps that are designed and supported by a reliable company who knows the most important features and data needed to streamline operations and grow guest satisfaction,” said Lee Leet, president and chief executive officer of QSR Automations. 

Following QSR’s philosophy of offering flexible technology options, the DineTime solution provides a free app for those operators located in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada who simply wish to organize and manage a wait list and seated list while notifying guests that their table is ready via text messaging.  The free app includes unlimited call-ahead and walk-in parties managed across multiple devices along with unlimited one-way texting with customizable messages.  Additionally, the free app includes a rich guest book with extensive guest information and dynamic guest lookup, as well as a 30-day summary dashboard and access to the DineTime.com portal for viewing guest data and weekly snapshots. 

Coming soon, QSR will offer a fee-based version of the DineTime app for just $49 per month, which adds a number of key features including unlimited two-way texting, a yearly dashboard, and enhanced access to the portal.  Shortly following this release, another version of the DineTime app will be available to provide seating and table management capabilities, including drag and drop seating from the wait list for walk-in and call-ahead parties of all sizes. 

“Operators will be able to use any of the DineTime apps in combination, which ensures they can take control of their monthly costs while also putting in place dedicated greeters and seaters during the restaurant’s busiest times,” added Leet. 

Guest data that is captured by DineTime includes contact information, number of visits, and visit details such as total visits by date and party size, average wait times, seated times, and hostess notes.  The DineTime.com portal provides access via the web to view this guest data as well as view a real-time snapshot of the restaurant’s status along with daily guest and party totals for the current week, including seated and walk-away counts.  With the portal, managers can gain critical access to their restaurant at any time, from anywhere.

Users of the fee-based versions of DineTime can further leverage the portal for reporting and export capabilities.  These premium portal capabilities enable operators to run, print, and export a variety of reports for configurable time periods and with a selection of filters.  Available reports offer average wait times and party size mixes—by day, week, month, year to date, and year.  And the portal will store guest visit information and summary metrics data for a period of 15 months for all fee-based users.  Additionally, these users can export their guest book at any time.

“DineTime is an exceptional system with feature options not available from any other app, and QSR is in the exclusive position to evolve the solution with even more beneficial capabilities,” said Leet.  “For instance, we will leverage our existing ConnectSmart solution interfaces with more than 40 point-of-sale systems to give operators the ability to view the check detail for a seated guest.  Truly key, an interface would also automatically update the seated status for check started, printed, and paid statuses—ensuring team members know with a glance that a party has been served or a table is about to open up.”

Also showcased within the NRA exhibit are QSR’s ConnectSmart Kitchen graphical kitchen display software and the ConnectSmart WebReserve and ConnectSmart WebAhead solutions for enabling guests to make a reservation or join the wait list through the web and a cell phone.  These connected solutions are fully integrated with QSR’s in-store ConnectSmart Hostess seating and wait list management software for providing truly accurate, up-to-the-minute wait time quotes, suggested seating, and table statuses.

“With our industry expertise and our existing infrastructure in place for in-store and online table management and reservations capabilities, there are no limits to where we can take DineTime in the near future—ensuring even more technology options for casual and fine dining users of all sizes,” concluded Leet.