“Restech 2026” Analysed the Formula for Scaling Restaurants, Pointing out that AI is only a Tool, “Back-End Systems and Human Resources” are the Real Survival Strategies.

The restaurant industry is facing a multifaceted turning point, with soaring costs and cautious purchasing power. At the “Restaurant Technology Expo 2026,” leading business figures shared a common insight: while AI is gaining momentum, the formula for unlimited branch scaling doesn’t rely solely on digital tools. Instead, it must be driven by three key pillars: “back-end systems, standards, and human resource management.”  

Technology is a “choice,” not a “lifeline.”

     Kritsada Saisomboon, Head of Operations Training at Pan Thai Coffee Co., Ltd., offered an interesting strategic perspective, stating that current technology and AI are not a guarantee of restaurant survival, but rather an “option” and “assistant” in the workplace. He compared AI to a recent graduate or intern within an organization. “AI isn’t a lifeline, but a choice. We need to look at AI in a new light, like a fresh graduate in a white uniform, an intern who’s tasked with gathering information, collecting data, and preparing reports to help us make decisions. We can’t assume that simply introducing AI will guarantee the business’s survival. We need to be the ones to set the direction, train, and upskill it so it truly understands our business.”

This aligns with the statement by Ms. Waewkanee Assorattanakul, Chairperson and Independent Director of Maguro Group Public Company Limited (former executive at Yum Restaurants/KFC), who stated that data and dashboards often only show “what”—what happened in the past, such as sales or transaction numbers—but the data cannot tell “why” and “how”—why those events occurred and how to resolve them in depth. 

This leads to the conclusion that there are three important things that technology will never replace humans in:

1. Human Judgment (On-site Decision Making): The context of each branch differs in terms of location, customer behavior, and team composition. The system cannot accommodate all exceptions. Therefore, store managers must make decisions that are aligned with the organization’s core values.

2. Accountability: Technology can process data, but when errors occur, it is the employees who must take responsibility and fix the problems to regain customer trust.

3. Human Connection & Service Mind (Relationship and Care): The restaurant business is about “people serving people.” Smiles, eye contact, and sincerity cannot be created automatically. The transition to digital systems like ordering kiosks will diminish the brand’s charm if there is a lack of human connection.

Mr. Pinyo Saeteo, Country Manager (Thailand) of Nimbly Technologies, added regarding business expansion that there are two ways to scale restaurants: adding branches, which requires significant effort and resources each time a new branch opens, and multiplication, which involves using best practices and customer journey data to create a common standard. This allows for scaling the business using a “system” rather than relying on the individual abilities of staff, thereby reducing the risk of employee turnover.

 

The pitfalls of branch expansion and measuring results with data.

     Pornchai Nitmethawong, an expert, business consultant, and speaker in the Thai restaurant industry, and currently co-founder and head of the consulting team for the “True Friends of Restaurants” Facebook page , stated that unlimited expansion must begin with building a strong business backbone ; otherwise, growth will turn into financial disaster. 

This serves as a word of caution to business owners: don’t rush into expanding simply because your store is crowded or has long queues. Instead, use data-driven analysis, such as measuring lost sales – the monetary value of customers who leave the store after waiting in line – and compare this to the increased fixed costs associated with opening new branches. Furthermore, be cautious of expanding branches faster than building a brand fan club. If you reach your fourth or fifth branch and the customer base isn’t strong enough, fixed costs will have already been fully incurred, while overall revenue may not grow as quickly. Also, be wary of cannibalization of sales in nearby locations

 

Control the specifications of the ingredients and differentiate the delicious flavors.

     Mr. Pornchai further stated that, in terms of food quality control, the term “delicious” is a matter of personal taste that cannot be measured numerically. However, what can be standardized is the texture and appearance of the food.

“When creating SOPs for restaurants, people often start with cooking SOPs. But the real problem is that the ingredients in-house are inconsistent. Even if you have a world-class recipe, if you lack knowledge of the ingredients and their specifications, you can’t possibly achieve the same result. The first SOP you need should be a basic understanding of ingredient specifications, from selection and storage to inspection.” For single-branch restaurants, the Head Chef, or the most skilled chef, should be positioned as a Shipper (Quality Checker) , responsible for verifying the accuracy, completeness, and appearance of the food at the delivery window as the final step before it reaches the customer, rather than simply standing at the stove cooking.

 

Close operational loopholes and detect fraud through POS.

Managing point-of-sale (POS) operations must be done in conjunction with internal control systems, utilizing the POS system’s functions to their fullest potential, such as:

• Monitoring voided bills:Every time a bill is voided, employees must provide a clear explanation to prevent loopholes for fraud.

• Prevent customers from opening the cash drawer without closing the receipt. Establish a standard requirement that customers receive a receipt every time, possibly linked to a queueing system for picking up orders.

• To calculate true food cost , it must be based on the “actual use of raw materials” (beginning inventory + purchases – ending inventory), not just on purchases alone.

 

Establish a structured workforce and foster a sense of ownership.

Mr. Pornchai concluded by saying that frontline personnel are the final cog in the machine that affects customer experience and the profitability of the business. Therefore, modern restaurant human resource management must integrate both systemic management and psychological aspects.

• Clearly separate roles and responsibilities. Distinguish between the skills of order-takers (who must have a good personality and sales-recommending skills) and servers. Clearly define both primary and secondary duties to prevent job-shunting issues.

• Viewing labor costs in terms of added value (functional and emotional), paying higher wages to acquire skilled employees with a good service mindset can generate a more worthwhile return. For example, increasing the daily wage by 150 baht could allow employees to upsell additional menu items by 500–1,000 baht per day, clearly generating extra profit for the restaurant.

• A three-level complaint management system (green-yellow-red) is necessary to address customer emotions varying in severity depending on the problem. The restaurant must have a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining how to handle such issues. For example: Green level (typical food issues): staff apologize and promptly check on the order in the kitchen; Yellow level (long wait times/dissatisfaction): serving appetizers to defuse the situation; and Red level (serious food errors): the manager apologizes, offers a discount, and makes a follow-up call to restore the relationship.

• Creating an Ownership Culture and Rewarding Employees : Building a culture where employees feel a sense of ownership over their work results requires communication, support from management regarding the well-being of frontline teams, and the use of short-term incentives to boost sales targets.

Marketing attracts new customers, but maintaining standards builds “loyal customers.” Krittaphas Atsophon, a former QA auditor for restaurant chains, revealed a concrete approach to implementing the QSC (Quality, Service, Cleanliness) system. “Marketing budgets and advertising can attract new customers only once, but what ensures a restaurant’s long-term survival is loyal customers. This loyalty comes from customers consistently maintaining the same standards of taste, service, and cleanliness regardless of which branch they visit.”

 

Strict control from upstream to downstream.

Food quality assurance requires a control system from the point of origin to the table, including:

• The receiving process involves following a quality guide, weighing, inspecting size, fat content, and temperature of the raw materials. If the materials do not meet the standards, they must be returned to the supplier immediately.

• Preparation & Shelf Life: Create a Master Shelf Life schedule to control storage life, freezer temperature (-18°C), refrigerator temperature, and accurate expiration date labeling (Code Date).

• During cooking, control the proportions according to the recipe, measure the oil temperature for frying (175°C), time according to the recipe, and use a thermometer to measure the center of the food; it must reach 75°C to ensure it is cooked thoroughly and safe from germs.

• Serving (Plating & Speed) : Check the plating components by displaying pictures of best-selling menu items at the food serving point, and control serving times, such as the first dish being served to the table within 7 minutes.

Critical safety points that cannot be overlooked.

Mr. Kritpas concluded by saying that in quality assessments, the “Critical” standard is a strict requirement, and any errors found could lead to a temporary closure of the restaurant. Examples include the presence of pests (such as one rat or 3-5 cockroaches in the kitchen), contamination with foreign objects, failure to wear personal hygiene equipment, and the strict separation of strong acids and strong bases in the storage of cleaning chemicals.

The core of quality control isn’t about finding fault, but about providing on-the-job training. The process is divided into 50% assessment and 50% coaching to help the team understand the root causes and correct problems, preventing the recurrence of errors in subsequent assessments. Furthermore, tools like Mystery Shopper, where undercover assessors pose as customers to observe actual service practices when the owner is absent, are used.

 

Read more at: https://www.prachachat.net/business/news-2059218