As technology and demographic makeup quickly evolves, the foodservice industry must keep pace. Technology is changing the way food-away-from-home companies are doing business, which can have a positive effect on operator efficiency and ordering accuracy.
How has technology changed how consumers order? According to IFMA’s Consumer Planning Program research, which surveyed more than 12,000 consumers on away-from-home dining motivations, 51% of consumers use technology to order food and beverages from restaurants. Moreover, consumers prefer to use restaurant specific resources over third party delivery portals by online ordering through the restaurant website and mobile ordering from the restaurant app. A small percentage of consumers are trying new concepts like ordering via text or tweet but these platforms are still slower to being widely adopted.
As mentioned earlier, consumers prefer to order online through the restaurant website or restaurant app, which have become an extension of a restaurant’s website. The study reveals that 81% of consumers are familiar with restaurant apps, in which 33% have tried an app and 29% are interested in trying an app. With third-party delivery services like UberEats and GrubHub on the rise, mobile ordering has the potential to increase orders for businesses and drive new traffic to the restaurant.
How are businesses using innovation to create positive customer experiences? In order for a restaurant to be successful, they must focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences. Many restaurants have experimented with other emerging technological concepts, including table alerts via text messages and virtual waiting. The table alerts via text message platform can simplify the dine-in experience by making the wait for a table more predictable, while the virtual waiting apps will let patrons know in advance how long the wait time is before heading to the restaurant. These concepts are poised to increase in popularity as consumers become to rely on them more and more. Technological advances are helping operators serve their customers better, increasing customer satisfaction which can translate into more repeat customers.
To stay on top of foodservice technology trends and understand consumer usage and attitudinal preferences, IFMA members can purchase the robust 2017 CPP study, which will arm you with the insights to successfully satisfy the consumer and be on trend with what’s new in the industry. Foodservice technology is one of many topics explored in the research, which also covers:
Consumer Topics
- Choice Between Foodservice vs. Retail
- Segment Satisfaction
- On-site Deep Dive
- Emerging Concepts & Disrupters
- Generational Needs & Trends
- Delivery & Takeout
- Grab n Go-Food & Beverage
- Plant-Based Entry
Operator Topics
- Alternative/Plant-based proteins
- Drivers & Inspiration for Menu Changes
- Desired Insights & Expertise
- E-commerce
- Delivery
To learn more about purchasing the 2017 study or joining the 2018 Consumer Planning Program Committee, contact Mike Schwartz at mike@ifmaworld.com. Click here for more information about the Consumer Planning Program.