Helping employees accomplish more with less through restaurant automation solutions

For businesses in the foodservice industry, it pays to pay attention to what happens across the pond—especially as the American hospitality industry faces a widespread labour shortage.

Although the cause of the labour short agein the United States is up for debate, one realization remains clear :foodservice workers need to accomplish more work with less people. To achieve higher levels of productivity, many businesses are turning toward the automation of everyday tasks—a move that European businesses could benefit from as well.

As times change, adopting restaurant automation solutions isn’t just a matter of convenience. It’s a matter of survival. Now more than ever, it’s time to adapt.

Tackling the labour shortage

Faced with increasingly understaffed teams and a competitive labour market, restaurants in the United States have turned toward different solutions to bring new employees on board. Bigger restaurant chains, like Chipotle Mexican Grill, raised wages while others, like McDonald’s, have paid people to show up for interviews.

These tactics might work for bigger chains with larger budgets. But for smaller chains or single location businesses with less money to spend, these costly strategies aren’t realistic options. Considering the circumstances, many restaurants and cafés—small to large—have embraced automation as one of many solutions to the labour crisis. 

By streamlining small, everyday tasks, automation allows restaurants staff to reallocate their attention toward responsibilities with more impact on the bottom line—such as serving guests or cooking food.[AH1] 

Compared to raising wages or offering sign-on bonuses, automating certain aspects of restaurant work can be reasonably affordable. A small, upfront investment of a few hundred pounds for a new piece of technology—like an automated labelling machine—can save hours of employee time. And those savings can add up quickly. 

The easiest place to start automating

As mentioned before, labelling provides one of the most impactful ways to start automating processes in a restaurant, pub or café.

Consider how many types of labels any one of these businesses uses in a day. There are labels for bins of prep ingredients, deli food, bakery goods, and retail items. And with restaurants offering even more service models since the start of the pandemic, businesses now need additional labels for grab-and-go, delivery and curbside pickup orders.

This increased need makes labelling the perfect place to start experiencing the benefits of automation. Having a single automated solution to create every label gives restaurants an optimal amount of flexibility and helps staff label what they need without expending too much time or effort.

What to look for in an automated labelling system

The ideal automated labelling system gives restaurants the flexibility to create labels for almost every use. This device should allow users to: 

  • Modify existing templates or design unlimited labels from scratch using custom fonts, logos and branding.
  • Create labels that include allergens, ingredients, QR codes, price, nutritional facts, barcodes and other essential information.
  • Access an online portal where administrators can control menu items, label designs and settings across all devices regardless of location.
  • Print customised designs and information on tamper-evident labels that protect delivery orders—whether food or beverage—from unwanted meddling.

In addition to that, an automated labelling system should update its software automatically and without charge. Restaurant staff have enough to worry about as is. So, what kind of device has all the features listed above (and more)? That would be the DateCodeGenie® from NCCO International.

Whether your kitchen needs a more stable labelling solution encased in stainless steel or a nimbler device that moves easily from place to place, the DateCodeGenie enterprise of solutions includes several models to fit various circumstances. No matter the need, DateCodeGenie offers a solution.


Thanks to its intuitive label designer and ease of use, the DateCodeGenie simplifies the labelling process every step of the way—from designing labels in the online portal to printing them off in the kitchen.

If a kitchen staff member needs a label for a bin of prepped onions, no problem. The DateCodeGenie will automatically populate the label with crucial information—such as the use-by and prep dates—before printing off however many labels the employee needs within seconds.

And that’s just one of the DateCodeGenie’s many uses. In reality, it’s a single device that helps staff save time with every labelling need. And when staff save time on labelling, they can refocus on serving customers, cooking amazing food, and creating experiences that guests want to relive again and again. When that happens, everyone wins. 


To see the DateCodeGenie in action or request a personalised demo, visit ncco.eu/date-code-genie today.

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