One sure sign that the world has turned a critical corner since the pandemic upended how people interact with one another is seeing friends and families gathered together, enjoying food, drinks, and laughter at their favorite bars and restaurants. Innovation is at the core of the great comeback of the hospitality industry. Eric Seymour, VP of Channel Programs at me&u USA, encourages bar and restaurant owners to recognize that times have indeed changed, and so have their customers. To keep up, the industry must keep pace with the latest technology that guests have come to expect while maintaining the human touch that is at the heart of hospitality.
(Austin, TX) August 29, 2023 — As a guest-centric industry, hospitality has consistently sought out the latest in technological advancements to provide the best experience for its clientele. The 1980s marked the beginning of the digital revolution, aka the Third Industrial Revolution, which has continued to experience a steady influx of innovative technology.1 In the 1990s, the internet hit the main stage, a major milestone in the hotel and travel industries, allowing customers to make reservations and book travel packages online. The 21st century has witnessed the emergence of smartphones and cloud computing, and in the 2020s, the spotlight is on Artificial Intelligence (AI).2 Eric Seymour, VP of Channel Programs at me&u USA, a global leader in at-table ordering specializing in restaurants and bars, advises, “Most industries do well with keeping up with technology trends and advancements, but the food and beverage industry has been left in the dust. Venue owners should be looking to upgrade their systems to be able to scale sustainably and generate more consistent revenue.”
Bars and restaurants have typically lagged behind in the adoption of high-tech solutions, but the demands of the COVID pandemic compelled them to get on board with technology in order to survive. Now that bars and restaurants are enjoying a renaissance, business owners and operators must keep up with the latest industry trends. Customers are all-in on tech, with 70% to 80% of restaurant and bar patrons giving high praise to the benefits of guest-facing technology and applications, such as mobile apps and electronic ordering.3
In 2023, there are 6.92 billion smartphone users worldwide, which equates to 85.95% of the global population.4 QR code scan-order-pay capitalizes on smartphone technology to elevate the dining experience for guests, lighten the load for overworked staff, and increase revenue for restaurant and bar owners. Patrons simply scan a QR code at their table using their smartphone, order from an interactive virtual menu, which offers suggestions, such as food and drink pairings, and then pay their bill with one click.
According to a Cornell report, ‘The Future of Full-service Dining,’ at-table ordering offers the potential to enhance table turnover time, accommodating more guests each day. With a 15% reduction in turnover time, a restaurant earning $2.5 million could see an extra $375,000 in sales from unmet customer demand. Beyond sales gains, patrons value control over payments and service elements through customer-facing tech. The labor savings could allow servers to wait on more tables and provide more one-on-one time with guests. Diners can place orders for additional beverage refills, appetizers, and desserts without waiting for a server, increasing the total check amount. A $3 improvement in average guest check, with a restaurant average of $15, translates into a 20% increase.3
A report by YouGov and a me&u interview panel of industry experts throughout the US, Australia, and the UK predicts what bars and restaurants of the future will look like and the trends that will redefine the drinking and dining experiences; the report found that 49% of consumers prefer venues with smart technology options, such as personalized menus that offer food and drink recommendations catered to their tastes.5
Seymour provides a few insights into some of the main ingredients for the bars and restaurants of the future:
- Smart technologies are not only efficient; QR codes provide meaningful data on guest foot traffic as well as their behaviors and preferences to better predict service requirements, facilitating data-driven decision-making for businesses.
- The future of dining could include meta-events, taking diners on a virtual trip to the vineyard where the wine they’re drinking came from.
- Venue operators will need to think beyond the main course by offering fun activities, such as mini-golf and arcade games.
- AI will usher in a new era of hospitality with hyper-personalized venues tailored to every visitor’s unique background.
Designed for casual and premium dining, me&u flex offers a two-way ordering system where both customers and servers can order and add items to the table. Ordering is synchronized, ensuring everyone eats together. Guests can pay through me&u flex or the server with options to split the check without having to do the math. Servers can increase their tips with me&u’s automatic tipping feature, where restaurants control the default tip percentage. The me&u flex system boosts table turnover rates, increases revenue, and enables restaurants to maximize efficiency. Its tailored features increase upselling by up to 30%, while integrated marketing tools enhance customer loyalty. The friction-free process allows servers to focus on building relationships with guests and creating memorable moments.
Seymour emphasizes that “Heart remains the cornerstone of hospitality. While technology is an asset to any venue, dining out is still about social interactions and making connections with people. In an industry that’s experienced significant changes in the last three years, the one constant that we know will exist in the future will be the people. While we can’t predict what will happen in the next decade or what technologies will emerge, we see a future of full hearts, venues, and appetites — and our industry and its people are shaping it. For centuries, bars and restaurants have been the beating heart of communities. While technology is evolving how we navigate venues, genuine interactions, and human connections cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence.”
To find out more about me&u flex, visit www.meandu.com/flex.
About me&u
A global leader in the hospitality technology space, me&u is on a mission to build a better future for the hospitality industry. Launched in 2017, me&u was conceptualized by Founder Stevan Premutico to transform the traditional ordering experience in a bid to solve deep-rooted structural issues that have been the Achilles heel of the hospitality industry for decades. The technology is not just a digital menu but one that is intelligent and highly personalized to the ordering experience for both the customer and venue. me&u presents the best of both worlds — seamlessly enabling greater human connection while ensuring efficiency for venues, greater client satisfaction, and retail growth. The company that Premutico has created works with operators, not against them, to create a more profitable future for the industry through fair financials, transparency, and a hospitality-led founding team. Visit https://www.meandu.com/.
References:
- Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects simply to a non-technical, et al. “Digital Revolution.” Techopedia, 12 Dec. 2017, techopedia.com/definition/23371/digital-revolution.
- Russell, James. “A Timeline in the Adoption of Technology in Hospitality.” Hospitality; Catering News, 8 Feb. 2023, hospitalityandcateringnews.com/2023/02/a-timeline-in-the-adoption-of-technology-in-hospitality/#:~:text=inventory%20more%20efficiently.-,The%20adoption%20of%20technology%20in%20the%20hospitality%20industry%20has%20been,in%20an%20increasingly%20crowded%20market.
- Susskind, Alex M., and Benjamin Curry. “The Influence of Table Top Technology in Full-Service Restaurants.” The Influence of Table Top Technology in Full-Service Restaurants, 6 Oct. 2016, ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/70998.
- Turner, Ash, et al. “3.12 Billion More Phones than People in the World!” BankMyCell, 1 Aug. 2023, bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world.
- Bray, Ashley. “What the Bar of the Future Will Look Like.” Bar Business, 24 Jan. 2023, barbizmag.com/news/research-reveals-what-the-bar-of-the-future-will-look-like/.
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