INDUSTRY UNLOCKED
AI is a game-changer for hospitality SMEs – and the barriers to adoption are shrinking
Times are hard in the hospitality industry. There are many external factors which are making trading difficult, leading to some businesses closing their doors for good. Frederick Szydlowski, Co-founder of Embargo, discusses how technology is steadily reshaping the hospitality landscape and how small businesses are embracing the change.
The UK hospitality industry is struggling with more challenges than ever – staffing shortages, rising costs and customers that are getting more price conscious. Venues across the country are struggling to fill roles while wages, rent and supply prices climb higher each month – and raising prices further tests already strained customer patience.
At the same time, customer spending still hasn’ t bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, and recent global pressures( looming tariffs, risk of recession, high borrowing costs) are driving up the cost of essentials like coffee while tightening purse strings everywhere.
Unfortunately, these pressures aren’ t going away anytime soon, and they’ re largely out of any one business’ s control. But that doesn’ t mean the industry should do nothing in the hope these challenges will subside; being passive, as a sector and as individual businesses, is dangerous.
In fact, positively, there’ s a smart way forward: one that helps venues adapt, stay competitive and thrive in spite of it all.
Tech adoption
Technology is steadily reshaping the hospitality landscape, and small businesses are embracing www. intelligentcxo. com
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