Modern Market Eatery’s Unique Approach to Technology: Empowering, Not Replacing, Its Teams

Founded in 2009 by two friends with no prior restaurant experience and a passion for technology, Modern Market Eatery, the fast-casual restaurant franchise, has always been ahead of the curve in terms of its technology use. Things that are considered advanced by other brands today have been in place for years in Modern Market Eatery kitchens, and the brand only continues to innovate.

“We haven’t employed things like robots and artificial intelligence in our kitchens for the past 15 years, but we have remained innovative in terms of kitchen equipment,” said Chris Cheek, chief development officer. Recently, we’ve been focused on other innovations that enable our team members to make the most of the technology that is already in place.”

One of the most notable innovations Modern Market Eatery has made recently is its introduction of a drive-thru model that accommodates its made-from-scratch menu. The newest restaurant, which still offers about 50 seats indoors in addition to a standard drive-thru lane, opens up opportunities for guests who would like to dine in, carry out or order at a speaker box for an efficient drive-thru experience.

Regardless of how a guest chooses to get their food, there is a personalized touch of human interaction available with each method.

“In addition to the advanced kitchen equipment we use, we have implemented a dual-sided line,” Cheek said. “In most restaurants that follow a build-your-own model like ours, a guest’s bowl starts at one end of the line and works its way down with employees adding salad greens, a grain, protein and toppings along the way. In this model, you can only have people work on one side. Our dual-sided line allows twice the throughput at peak times.”

Cheek added that, for guests in the restaurants, this dual-sided line can be a nice thing to see. Rather than dishes being assembled in a hidden back area, guests witness active collaboration among team members as their plates come together, illustrating the care and intention that goes into each Modern Market Eatery meal.

Even once the ordering and point-of-sale experience is over, Modern Market Eatery continues to engage with its guests.

“We have not gone away from bringing food to the table. We don’t just hand over a buzzer or yell a guest’s name from the back-of-house to let them know it’s time to come pick up their food,” Cheek said. “We use a number on a peg that sits in the middle of a guest’s table, and runners are in the dining room bringing food to the table. That’s the team member’s chance to add the personal touch — refilling a beverage, bringing a complimentary dessert for a young child or sampling a new menu item. Modern Market Eatery continues to focus on the people of the business, ensuring that guests can see and interact with the people making their food — all the technology we’ve embraced simply supports our team members in creating an even better experience.”

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://modernmarket.com/franchise.