An outage experienced by Amazon Web Services (AWS), a key player in cloud computing, severely impacted Texas restaurants on Monday. This disruption affected various services, particularly point-of-sale systems and third-party delivery apps that many restaurants depend on for daily operations.
Impact on Texas Restaurants
The AWS outage began around 7 a.m., with many restaurant owners noticing significant operational issues throughout the day. Rafael Nasr, owner of Craft Pita, a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant in Houston, was alerted to the situation by news reports. He understood the potential repercussions, stating, “My wife works in tech, and I know how big AWS is.”
As a result of the outage, Craft Pita faced simultaneous disruptions. Online ordering systems and third-party delivery services became unavailable, which directly affected sales. Nasr reported that the restaurant experienced a 25% decline in revenue for that day. Despite this setback, he noted that catering orders helped cushion the blow.
Broader Effects Across Texas
Other restaurants in the Greater Houston area and beyond faced similar challenges. For instance, JD’s Hamburgers in Fort Worth lost access to credit card payment systems. As a workaround, the restaurant used handwritten tickets to process orders.
The Aftermath and Lessons Learned
AWS restored services by approximately 3 p.m., yet the impact remained widespread. This incident highlighted the vulnerabilities present in the post-COVID restaurant landscape. Many establishments have shifted focus to delivery and take-out options. However, this reliance on technology proved risky when the systems failed.
“You’re so reliant on the technology that when the technology doesn’t work, you’re out of luck,” Nasr explained, underscoring the risks of depending on third-party services. The recent outage serves as a crucial reminder for restaurant owners about the importance of contingency planning in a tech-dependent business environment.
