What 5 Restaurants Leaders Say About Fourth

By Lauren Bocage|Jul 25, 2024|3:24 pm CDT

As part of Fourth’s internal sales kickoff meeting in Austin last week, 5 amazing restaurant leaders joined us to share the challenges and complexities they face every day. They weighed in on how Fourth’s Restaurant Operations Suite helps them tackle these challenges and run their restaurants, but more importantly, they talked about 5 key factors in their sustainable success. 

1. Good scheduling keeps you out of the weeds

Managers feel the value of proper coverage for every shift, every day. Staffing is critical for smooth operations, resiliency, and sustained success. Better staff planning and clear communication can prevent issues and make the job easier at every level.  

But making an accurate schedule is a puzzle that requires putting many complex pieces together.  

 “Good planning and good scheduling gets you out of the weeds. Incorrectly scheduling can change your entire day.’” – Operator of a group of 5 Mexican restaurants 

And of course, 😊 HotSchedules makes balancing labor compliance, cost, forecasted demand, and all other variables a seamless experience.  

2. The right team drives growth

The right team makes a good schedule great, which means better retention and better customer service.  

“I can’t grow my business without the correct staff. You want to spend your time developing your team. If you do a good job of preparing for the week, the job is so much easier.” – Operator of a group of 5 Mexican restaurants 

And I’m happy to report that he says Fourth is part of his success, by equipping managers with tools for better hiring and scheduling so they can focus on developing their team and cultivate the best guest experience—and grow the business.  

3. AI, automation, and real-time data is changing the restaurant world.

Most restaurant operators didn’t go into hospitality to do admin work. But as a business grows, so does the administrative burden. In an industry where every minute counts, our customers talked about the right tools being essential to easing management’s workload and providing a clearer picture of the business.  

 “The more details you can help us manage, the fewer crises we’ll have”  

For restaurant managers, the right tools for today’s world mean AI, automation, and real-time data insights to strengthen workflows and make informed decisions faster. Fourth allows managers to close the laptop and get on the floor with their guests, with a better visibility into the business to make smarter decisions for today and tomorrow.  

“An ideal day is when management has the tools they need for success. Our job is to be with the customers, so the more we can automate, the better.” – Franchisee, National Burger Chain 

“Real-time data is important to see where you’re at. It helps you keep a forward eye on things – Manager, Organic Restaurant Chain

4. Proven ROI of AI

One of the highest-performing restaurants operators who spoke to us has brought AI into the back office – and said they could never go back.  

“Your AI forecasting is doing a better job than I do.” Franchisee, National Burger Chain 

From forecasting, to hiring and inventory, the next frontier is here, and our customers are experiencing the value. Erasing initial skepticism about the role of AI in restaurants and shifting the conversation from “why should I bring in AI? to “what else can AI do for my restaurant?”  

5. Simple solutions reduce ‘crisis days’

A game-changing solution is great but if it’s clunky, complicated, or doesn’t talk to your other systems, it can cause more problems than it solves. Our customers said the wrong solution can hinder their growth.  

“The more details you can help us manage, the fewer crises we’ll have” 

As a result, top preforming restaurants place a premium on solutions that effortlessly integrate and work with them to scale. Our customers find immense value in the robustness and ease of Fourth as their trusted partner for tackling all the challenges of restaurant ops.