ESP Systems

ESP Systems, a North Carolina based company, has recently launched a new restaurant system that will “smarten up” restaurant management and will also revolutionize the restaurant dining experience. ESP is a wireless system that links restaurant managers, waiters, and customers together by creating a Wi-Fi “bubble’ over the entire eatery. This patented “front-to-backend” system connects everyone from the front end of the restaurant with everyone at the back end of the restaurant in the kitchen and in the bar. The core of the system is a device called the “ESP Hub”. This device is the size and shape of a portable CD player and is essential to all parts of this system, as all the ESP functions revolve around it. When diners are seated, they are given a disk to put into the hub in order to activate it. Once the system is activated, customers can summon their waiters, place orders, and ask for the bill by simply tapping the large button on the top of the device. Even more importantly, with this technology restaurant hosts automatically know the real-time status of every table in their establishment, by using their “ESP Watches” to wirelessly connect with each “ESP Hub.” With these watches, the restaurant employees can change table statuses from ready to dining status, can interact with each other mid-shift, can find out the status of their orders from the kitchen, can receive food orders and requests for the check from customers via the “ESP Hub”, and can summon bussers to come clear tables once guests have left.

ESP systems are built on the Microsoft platform and the user interface is designed with Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. It relies on the Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 development system to maximize the software coding and also uses the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. Of course, the system also relies on wireless Wi-Fi Internet for smooth and wireless operations.

There are many advantages for restaurant managers and owners that equip their restaurants with guest customized service systems such as ESP. ESP systems can eliminate long customer waiting times as they alert hosts as soon as tables become available, therefore making table turnover quicker and more efficient. This system also improves the dining experience by not only shortening the time that patrons spend waiting for a table, but by also shortening the time that it takes for customers to receive their food. Since servers are notified via their “ESP Watches” when their orders are ready to be served, all food is served hot and on time. But most importantly, ESP improves staff productivity, which is among one of the greatest advantages for restaurants using this service. Greater staff productivity means greater table turnover, which in turn means greater profit for restaurant owners. The advantages of using ESP are priceless, as they all contribute to making restaurants more productive, and most importantly, more profitable.


Unfortunately, there are some disadvantages to using the “ESP Hub” in restaurants. Although this system is meant to make restaurant dining more enjoyable for customers, they may find that the restaurant has become too reliant on technology and therefore no longer emphasizes the personalized service that they are accustomed to receiving in a restaurant. Furthermore, customers who are not technologically savvy may find this system to be a nuisance rather than a convenience. Last but not least, it seems as though this technology is easily susceptible to being abused by its users, such as unruly children, and unsupervised teenagers.

Sources:

Piquepaille, R. (2007). Wireless Restaurant Waiters.
Retrieved
October 1, 2007, from Roland Piquepaille’s Technology Trends
Web site:
http://www.primidi.com/2006/09/02.html

(2007). Turning Tables on Slow Service.
Retrieved
October 1, 2007, from Microsoft
Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/industry/hospitality/businessvalue/esparticle.mspx

(2007). ESP Systems.
Retrieved
October 1, 2007, from ESP Systems
Web site:
http://www.espsystems.net/