Simpra: A Cloud Based Integrated Restaurant and Kitchen Management System

In the literature on e-government, the focus is predominantly on the organization of the front office and on the interaction among governmental agencies and citizens (Chadwick & May, 2003; Edmiston, 2003; Tat-Kei Ho, 2002). However, in order for e-government initiatives to be successful, back-office streamlining also has to be taken care of (Bekkers & Homburg, 2005; Homburg, 2005a). In a sense, back-office operations are the backbone of any form of e-government, and they may require information exchange and knowledge sharing among various units, departments, or organizations. The e-government phenomenon occasionally has paved the way for stirring rhetoric of technological and institutional change. For example, Wimmer, Traunmüller, and Lenk (2001) predict that “organizational boundaries will fade and give way to innovative organizational design. In this way, cooperation between administrative agencies will span wide: over distances, across organizational boundaries and even across hierarchical echelons” (p. 1). Actual e-government applications, however, show that the practice of e-government may not be as attractive as some of its benevolent proponents might claim. Back offices can be regarded as networks of organizations in which goals necessarily do not overlap and in which interests may collide. In practice, in these networks, information is the primary medium of value and exchange (Davenport, Eccles, & Prusak, 1992), and relatively uncontrolled sharing of such a powerful resource threatens information monopolies and may provide those organizations who receive information with significant power gains (Bekkers, 1998; Homburg, 1999, 2001; Homburg & Bekkers, 2002; Markus, 1983). Consequently, existing dependencies in organizational networks might be affected, and it can be expected that the exchange of information in back offices invokes a complex mixture of cooperation and conflict (Cunningham & Tynan, 1993; Homburg, 1999, 2001; Homburg & Bekkers, 2002; Knights & Murray, 1992; Kumar & van Dissel, 1996). In this article, I address the following research question: What does the nature and dynamics of interorganizational relations mean for the development and implementation of e-government information systems, and what methods and strategies are used to design and implement these systems? The focus in the analysis is on the interorganizational relations that are mobilized through the integration of various back-office systems (Bekkers & Homburg, 2005; Homburg & Bekkers, 2002). In the remainder of this article, I analyze existing e-government initiatives and, more specifically, information relations among various back offices, using a political economy view on information exchange (Homburg, 1999), and I explore methods and strategies of ICT process management in policy networks (de Bruijn, ten Heuvelhof, & In ’t Veld, 2002).

Strict quarantine restrictions have caused a crisis in the hospitality industry both in Ukraine and around the world. The number of hotel and restaurant establishments are decreased, because a significant reduction in the number of domestic and foreign tourists. In additional, the population’s spending on recreation and culture, restaurants and hotels are decreased, because they are lost their jobs. This critical situation requires the improvement of hotel and restaurant management, their adaptation to new business conditions, flexibility and efficiency of decision-making. The concept of “hospitality industry” and negative factors that affect its development are considered in this article. Statistical data on the dynamics of the volume of services provided for temporary accommodation and catering and the number of incoming (foreign) and domestic tourists in Ukraine, the decrease in the level of effective demand of Ukrainian citizens are researched. The interpretation of the concept of “hotel and restaurant management in a crisis” in terms of the importance of using modern management tools to change the format of work with clients, in order to adapt to crisis conditions resulting from the pandemic, gain competitive advantage, meet customer demands and as a result of obtaining a high level of profitability. The staff is an important component of the success of the hotel and restaurant industry in the market and its competitiveness. Customer demands are constantly growing, so staffing requirements are also changing. Important competencies of the manager of the hotel and restaurant industry are: analytical, logical, strategic thinking, communication skills, and leadership skills. In the competition for customers, information and communication play an important role, and effective communication management helps to make optimal management decisions. Particular attention should be paid to external communications, namely marketing communication policy. The strategy of the hotel and restaurant industry in a pandemic includes: the development of an effective marketing policy, improving the expansion of sales channels, the formation of customer protection and safety.

Sustainable development is a constant and a necessity of daily life in the restaurant industry. The restaurant industry has high consumptions of energy, water, detergents, and consumables, together with tremendous food waste. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many acute sustainable development problems. In this context, this article analyzes the practices identified by restaurant managers that define their responsible behavior, and the significant changes made towards sustainability during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article presents the results obtained through qualitative research, carried out by semi-directive in-depth interviews, conducted with 56 restaurant managers from Romania. The answers obtained are based on five topics of discussion highlighting the managers’ growing interest in finding solutions to counteract negative effects on the environment, to ensure the wellbeing of customers and employees, and to increase the profitability of their company. The results obtained from the research reflect the thoughts and actions of restaurant managers in Romania, contributing to the body of knowledge in the understanding of sustainability practices in the foodservice sector.

Mobile technologies are increasing being integrated in the food industry to provide customers and restaurant a good experience. This paper presents a survey of the state-of-the-art scientific literature available on mobile applications in the restaurant industry in terms of their functionality, designs, and user experience while considering both the user-end and back-end (restaurant management) interfaces. These applications have been divided in two main categories, i.e., dine-in and rider-base delivery application. It has been identified that augmented reality (AR) and smart data analytics can play a major role in the context of these applications and thus their integration in the restaurant industry mobile applications has been advocated.

The relevance of sustainability across all sectors of life is a defining feature of the 21st century, particularly in tourism, where environmental pressures and socio-economic challenges demand urgent transformation. In this context, the hospitality and restaurant industries must undergo a strategic transition toward sustainable management practices. The purpose of this study is to substantiate the necessity of implementing modern managerial approaches grounded in ecological responsibility and circular economy principles. The object of the research is the process of transitioning to sustainable hospitality and restaurant management, while the subject comprises the specific techniques and models that facilitate this transition. The central thesis posits that the successful adoption of sustainability-oriented practices in hotel and restaurant enterprises is a key driver of long-term economic viability, environmental stewardship, and socially responsible tourism development. The methodology is qualitative and conceptually descriptive, employing general scientific methods such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, and analogy. It is further enriched by an AI-assisted systematic review of academic literature and official documents from institutions such as the EU and UN Tourism, enabling the classification of transition techniques and formulation of actionable management recommendations. This process includes the analysis of leading industry benchmarks and official Best Environmental Management Practices (BEMPs), which serve as applied examples for defining operational optimization. The scientific novelty of the study lies in its integrative approach, combining macroeconomic frameworks (e.g., ESG and Triple Bottom Line) with micro-operational strategies (e.g., circular economy principles and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies). This dual-level integration redefines sustainability not merely as a moral imperative but as a strategic economic model that enhances competitiveness, operational efficiency, and investment attractiveness. The main conclusion is that sustainable development should be embraced as a core mission of the tourism business. Enterprises that align their operations with sustainability principles demonstrate measurable success, validating the strategic and economic value of responsible hospitality and restaurant management.

Contingency theory suggests that there is no universal information system that is applicable to all organizations in all circumstances. In this study, segment, ownership type, sales level, and financial success were all examined for their relationships to information technology usage in the restaurant industry. Restaurant owners and managers (n = 243) across three restaurant segments (casual service, quick service, and family style) were asked about what types of applications they used. First, a classification scheme emerged from the data as a result of factor analysis consisting of five categories: cost analysis, sales and forecasting, administrative, service, and advanced technologies. Second, analysis of variance supported the contingency theory for three of the four factors investigated. The segments of casual service, quick service, and family style, as well as chain versus independent restaurants, use systems differently from each other to meet their specific industry needs. Sales volume, however, did not correlate with systems use, but perceived financial success did correlate with the number of applications used by managers. The implications of this study suggest that generic, canned information technology solutions may not be the optimum solution for the restaurant industry. To enhance competitiveness, information technology solutions should address the specific needs for each restaurant firm.

PurposeIn 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on global health care and the economy. The restaurant industry has been especially hit hard by the statewide “stay-at-home” orders. To get back on track, many of these businesses need capital. A new and effective form of fundraising for business startups is crowdfunding (CF). However, there has been little research on the pandemic impact on CF. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the pandemic-related impact on restaurant CF.Design/methodology/approachThis study extracted all 2,686 restaurant CF projects in the USA from the Kickstarter platform from April 2010 to January 2021. By conducting descriptive analyses and multiple logistic regression models, this study examined the pandemic impact on CF success.FindingsThis study finds that, while controlling the effects of other determinants, businesses in the midst of the pandemic are more likely to be successfully funded than businesses unaffected by the pandemic. Findings also reveal that restaurant startups lowered their funding goals and posted more updates/comments/pledge levels during the pandemic, which made projects more likely to be selected as a “Project We Love” and increased the odds of funding success. However, mentioning COVID-19-related information or locating projects in “red zones” are not found to have any significant direct or moderating impact on the funding success.Research limitations/implicationsThis study pioneers the research topic restaurant CF and attempts to raise the research attention of small- and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurial financing. Using quantitative methods, it provides a new perspective on pandemic-impact research. Social exchange theory is extended to the context of reward-based CF under crisis. Finally, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first investigation of the possible moderating effect of project location on the relationship between restaurant CF characteristics and success.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study suggest restaurateurs to be confident about the fundraising of their startup business through reward-based CF, even when located within so-called pandemic red zones, and perform appropriate communication strategies while using the reward-based CF.Originality/valueThis study is one of the earliest to examine the main and moderating effects of the pandemic-related factors on business CF in the hospitality realm. The findings are reference for researchers and restaurateurs on fundraising in a crisis context.

This paper explores the concept of job specific worries (JS worries) in managers in the restaurant industry. The focus of interest in the present explorative study was the degree and content of restaurant managers' worries. Of a total of 58 eligible managers in a Norwegian (fast food) restaurant chain, 57 (representing an equal number of restaurants) were surveyed for JS worries and personal worries. These managers also judged aspects of their relation to the organization they work for, such as perceived organizational hierarchy, job commitment and perceived risk at work. The results indicate that the concept of JS worry is state dependent as opposed to personal worry, which may be regarded as a trait. In addition, the observed correlations indicate a connection between characteristics of perceived job environment and the respondents' degree of JS worry, whereas no such correlations were observed between trait worry and job environment.

This study aims to investigate the optimal micro-level decision-making priorities as perceived by business actors or restaurant managers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) analysis method is employed to assess these priorities at three distinct stages: the initial phase, the ongoing phase, and the post-pandemic phase. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a substantial shift in crisis management practises, both during and in the aftermath of the crisis. The most significant enhancements were observed in the realm of collaboration with fellow merchants, promotion of novel services, and use of outsourced or freelance personnel. In the context of the pandemic, certain attributes have demonstrated persistent significance and utilisation across all stages. These attributes include the provision of discounts, advertising across diverse media channels, introduction of new menus, supply of masks for employees, availability of disinfectants in restaurant premises, and the dissemination of COVID-19 prevention information to both employees and visitors. Keywords: COVID-19, crisis management practices, Importance Performance Anaysis (IPA), restaurant

This work investigates the use of Food Delivery Applications (FDAs) by restaurants. It aims to understand the main perceived impacts, from the perspective of restaurant managers, of this technological innovation on the ecosystem, on the relationship between restaurants and their customers and on the value proposition of restaurants. Recently, an expressive number of studies investigated the motivations for the use of FDAs by users. However, the literature has devoted little attention to the perception of restaurant managers regarding the impact of these platforms on the restaurant ecosystem. To achieve the proposed objectives, we used qualitative research, based on semi-structured interviews (case study) with entrepreneurs and restaurant managers. The results of this investigation suggest that FDAs represent a new channel for restaurants and can be considered a facilitator to leverage sales. However, from the perspective of restaurant managers, there is a trade-off; the practices, policies, and strategies implemented by these platforms cause (1) loss of control over restaurant sales (dependence), (2) changing customer behavior and expectations, (3) greater difficulty in managing and retaining consumers, and (4) negatively affect the value proposition of restaurants. To practitioners, we suggest that managers and restaurant owners are aware of the implications of these platforms for their businesses. Ideally, we recommend that they seek differentiation through a “unique” value proposition, avoiding exclusive dependence on this channel, working on strategies to improve customer relationships and loyalty.

In recent years, the restaurant business in Ukraine as well as around the world has developed quite rapidly. New cafes and restaurants opened one after another, and existing locations improved the quality of services provided, while new modern formats of restaurant businesses appeared. The coronavirus pandemic did not leave any market sector untouched in 2020; the restaurant industry was hit hardest as it was one of the first to be adversely affected by quarantine restrictions. At the same time, in 2021 the situation has not improved, the restaurant business has faced an unprecedented crisis and in such conditions, the issues of flexibility and speed of reaction of restaurant enterprises come to the fore, which involves reducing costs, reorganizing business processes, implementing new innovative approaches doing business. Many cafes and restaurants have been forced to close completely because they have not been able to cope with the catastrophic consequences of the pandemic and went bankrupt. The situation remains tense due to the fact that there is no clear understanding of when the pandemic will end, and therefore restaurant managers have already realized that to maintain their business, they must act quickly, develop radically new mechanisms for each unit and adapt business processes in such a way as to ensure the functioning of restaurants in modern realities. In the current situation of uncertainty, as well as insufficient protection by government regulation, it is advisable to quickly move to new technological forms of work organization. The article considers the key problems and changes in the development of restaurant businesses in the period of the coronavirus pandemic 2020-2021. The author analyzes the experience of Ukrainian cafes and restaurants in the transformation of institutions in the initial period of quarantine restrictions, as well as mechanisms of state regulation in the legal sphere, which are presented in a number of adopted regulations. The article develops practical recommendations for the reorganization of key business processes in the restaurant business in a pandemic.

This study aims to provide empirical analysis regarding transformational leadership, trust in leaders and individual performance, this can be a source of reference for the development of soft skills in the leadership theme, especially restaurant managerss. The current literature is scarce on the role of leadership in enhancing leader trust and individual performance in the restaurant industry. The sample in this study was 233 crew and restaurant staff used to assess their leaders, namely restaurant managers and analyzed using SEM PLS 3. The results showed a positive and significant influence between transformational leadership and trust in leaders, and individual performance. And trust in leaders also has a positive and significant effect on individual performance. In addition, the charisma and inspirational factors of leaders contribute strongly to increasing the ability and integrity of crew and staff in influencing individual benefits and outcomes. Keywords: Transformational Leadership, Trust in Leaders, Individual Performance, Restaurant

<b> </b>This paper presents a qualitative study of the main determinants of perceived quality and perceived price as seen by clients of a la carte restaurants. Focus group interviews were conducted covering four types of consumers: couples without children, groups of friends, families, and groups of executives. The main determinants of perceived quality identified in this study were: attributes of the food, service, ambience, waiting time, cleanliness, security, support facilities, menu, attributes of drinks, privacy, accuracy, decor, and confirmation of expectations. On the other hand, the most important determinants of perceived price were: food quality, decor, ambience, service, support facilities, menu, cleanliness, attributes of drinks, portion size, prior expectations, and privacy. Results suggest a strong relationship between determinants of perceived quality and perceived price, an important aspect to be considered by restaurant managers in order to improve the customer satisfaction. The importance of this work lies in its contribution to research carried out in the restaurant industry, since the findings suggest that quality and price attributes are differently prioritized by customers as a function of their reason for using the service. Hence, managers should look into these factors to position their services according to client characteristics.

El impacto de la fijación dinámica de precios en las percepciones de los clientes de restaurantes y en el sentimiento hacia los preciosResumenPropósitoEste estudio examina cómo la fijación dinámica de precios impacta en las percepciones de los clientes de los restaurantes y en el sentimiento hacia los precios a través de métricas de reputación en línea. Además, para profundizar en el debate sobre la fijación dinámica de precios, se propone una definición novedosa explorando las formas específicas de discriminación que pueden manifestarse en diferentes industrias.Diseño/metodología/enfoqueUtilizando un conjunto de datos exhaustivo de reseñas de restaurantes obtenidas de TripAdvisor, el estudio se centra en los restaurantes afiliados a uno de los mayores grupos de restaurantes en España. Empleamos un método cuasiexperimental (diferencias en diferencias) para estudiar cómo las estrategias de precios dinámicos influyen en las percepciones de valor de los clientes basándonos en las calificaciones numéricas. Mientras tanto, empleamos un modelo BERT en el componente textual de las reseñas para desentrañar los matices emocionales de la fijación dinámica de precios.HallazgosLos resultados no revelaron un impacto causal de las estrategias de precios dinámicos en las percepciones de los clientes. Además, el análisis de sentimiento no muestra una visión negativa aumentada después de introducir la fijación dinámica de precios en los restaurantes en comparación con el grupo de control. Contrariamente a lo que sugiere la literatura previa, nuestros hallazgos indican que la implementación de precios dinámicos no afecta negativamente las percepciones o los sentimientos de los clientes respecto a los precios en los restaurantes.Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigaciónLa configuración cuasiexperimental del estudio presenta desafíos inherentes para establecer la causalidad que requieren una investigación más profunda utilizando entornos experimentales controlados. Sin embargo, nuestro estudio revela que los clientes de restaurantes no perciben la fijación de precios dinámica como injusta. Este hallazgo es crítico para los gerentes de restaurantes al considerar la implementación de la fijación de precios dinámica y estrategias de gestión de ingresos. Además, nuestro estudio resalta la importancia de considerar no solo las calificaciones numéricas sino también el análisis del sentimiento del cliente. Este enfoque más holístico para evaluar el impacto de las estrategias de precios puede dar a los gerentes de restaurantes una comprensión más profunda de las reacciones de los clientes. Además, se proporciona una definición de fijación de precios dinámica más rigurosa, aclarando su naturaleza y su distinción en el uso de diferentes discriminaciones de precios.Originalidad/valorEste estudio contribuye a la comprensión en evolución del impacto de las estrategias de fijación de precios dinámicos en las percepciones y sentimientos de los clientes en la industria restaurantera. Su objetivo es llenar el vacío en la comprensión de las reacciones de los clientes a los precios determinados algorítmicamente (a través de sistemas de gestión de ingresos (RMS) como DynamEat) en esta industria. La combinación de inferencia causal y análisis de sentimientos ofrece una perspectiva novedosa, arrojando luz sobre las conexiones matizadas entre la implementación de la fijación de precios dinámicos y las emociones de los clientes.

This study empirically examines the socio-economic conditions of employees working in food-related small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Hyderabad City during the COVID-19 outbreak. Recognising that employees’ working categories and SMEs are unevenly distributed across the city, we initially employed purposive sampling by selecting food-related SMEs, including food franchises, restaurants, wholesale shops, bakeries, dairies, and grocery stores. Later, using simple random sampling across different city areas under smart lockdowns, we selected respondents with high, medium, and low salaries and wages, including salespersons, service personnel, market vendors, and vegetable and fruit sellers, among others, with varying employment statuses in different small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For data collection, we conducted face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. We applied the ordered-logit model and investigated a series of hypotheses. Our results suggest that the income of medium- and low-category employees, such as waiters, salespersons, cooks, cashiers, and security guards, decreased due to SME closures during lockdowns and an increased likelihood of unemployment. Additionally, social distancing, which was strictly maintained through smart lockdowns, had an adverse impact on the income of employees working in various small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including international franchises, local restaurants, small markets, marts, and food companies. However, employees’ children did not drop out of school due to online classes, although their education suffered due to school closures.