Restaurant POS and technology news, trends, best practices.

At the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas last week, while the rest of us were busy at the booth, our intrepid development manager was on a quest: to soak in a cross-section of seminars and visit every booth on the floor. What he found, besides more pizza samples than he could eat, were a handful of interesting technology ideas, new insights into restaurant operations best practices, and a few potential partners.

Marketing is developing a whole new lexicon of terms. One of the most significant for restaurant marketers? “Socializing.” In today’s marketing lingo, “socializing” is the term for extending the reach of your direct mail, email, and ad campaigns through social media. Read on for 3 ways to get more people talking about your brand and more eyes on your marketing campaigns by integrating social media.

Beyond inventory and labor costs, there’s a hidden cost every restaurant operator has to deal with: the lost opportunity cost of empty seats. And unfortunately, great food and service don’t always guarantee a full house. Technology can give you an extra edge—to help you understand your numbers, strategically plan your menu, control costs, and market your brand. Keep reading for ten ways you can boost profits with the technology you already have.

Learn to harness the power of social media to draw a crowd. The Foursquare smart phone app tells users what businesses are close by. But it doesn’t stop there. Foursquare users can see whether their friends are visiting your store, read reviews, see special offers, and more. One of the hottest social media tools, Fourquare grew an astounding 3400% in 2010. Continue reading to find out how you can leverage this social media tool for your restaurant.

Chances are, people are talking about your restaurant online. Is that chatter good, bad, or indifferent...and how do you plan to deal with it? Continue reading for more on social media listening tools and tips...