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Most diners want to keep tech out of restaurants, report finds
Almost two-thirds (64%) of people prefer a traditional, tech-free experience when dining out at a restaurant, according to analysis from US culinary school Escoffier.
While android waiters and bartenders, such as Tesla’s Optimus robots, are drifting from the realm of science fiction into that of fact, the emergence of technology as part of the restaurant experience is already clear – though it is less a case of the rise of the machines, and more to do with the ubiquity of QR code menus, something which really took off during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Escoffier’s analysis of a number of industry reports, US diners are split on scanning a QR code. Data from the National Restaurant Association reveals that 59% are happy to use a QR code to look at the menu on their phone, but only 48% would order via one, and just 46% would be happy to pay the bill by scanning one.
However, while QR codes are divisive, touchscreen tablets are less so, with 60% saying they would happily use one to place their order and 65% claiming that they would be happy to settle up using one. Indeed, ease of paying seems to be a top priority, with 30% picking that as the one thing they want tech to bring to restaurants, whereas 28% said they wanted it to make ordering easier and faster.
In line with that, the analysis also revealed that 70% of adults would be keen to use a system that would enable them to pre-order their meal at the same time as reserving a table in order to speed up service, suggesting that eating quickly is preferred by most to a leisurely lunch. Indeed, a survey from LendingTree suggested that digital payment could benefit restaurant staff, with 60% of Americans claiming that they tip more when technology makes it easier to pay.
As with many tech-centred questions, there is a generational divide. Whereas 64% of adults overall want to keep technology out of restaurants (though what the exact definition of ‘technology’ is in this context is unclear), for Millennials that figure falls to 47%. Likewise, Millennials are also the most enthusiastic about the idea of food being prepared (45% in favour) and delivered (58% in favour) by automated systems/robots, whereas the adult population as a whole is less so (29% and 37% respectively).
It may still be some time before most full service restaurants (as opposed to limited service ones, a category including fast food outlets) fully embrace features such as smartphone apps for ordering, with only 27% of full service restaurants saying they plan to invest in this, as opposed to 40% of limited service restaurants. Overall, it seems that the old ways are going to remain the norm, at least for the moment.
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