Technology has revolutionised the way we do so many things over the last few decades. However, one place that has remained stubbornly stuck in its ways is the restaurant. Deliveroo may have changed the way food is delivered but inside the restaurant, the customer experience works just as it did 30 years ago. Technology could change all of this but so far, there’s been little sign of this happening. In this article, we’ll examine a few developments that could enhance the dining experience for everyone. Read on to see what could be coming to your table alongside that Caesar salad.
Advanced ordering
Even busy chain restaurants have been reluctant to embrace the idea of customers ordering before they arrive but during high-demand periods of the day, it looks like a no-brainer. At busy times like lunch, it will massively reduce the amount of time that customers spend at tables and allow restaurants to operate more covers. If payment is taken in advance, there’s no risk of customers not turning up and restaurants being left out of pocket. It may be that restaurants need a Deliveroo type platform to be developed before this becomes widespread but this will certainly be a tech development worth watching.
Artificial intelligence
What wine goes best with the starter? Am I allergic to anything in the salad? Questions like these are asked thousands of times a day at restaurants across the world and with constantly changing menus and high staff turnover in the hospitality sector, it can be hard to train staff to know all of the answers. Artificial intelligence, either offered via an app or even an intelligent speaker such as an Amazon Alexa could be the answer to these issues, freeing staff up to do other jobs and avoiding the all too common situation of people scurrying to and from the kitchen with these questions.
The restaurant industry could be on the edge of a revolution if it chooses to embrace new technology like this. With margins under increasing pressure, there may well be a significant advantage for the first mover.
