Digital Report into how mobile technology, apps and tablets are revolutionising the food industry

1. Food on
the move:
How apps and
the mobile web
are changing
the food scene.
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2. Introduction
With cooking shows available 24/7 and an uncertain economy, restaurateurs have
to find increasingly innovative ways to attract customers away from their homes
and into their restaurants.
The restaurant industry has rarely been seen as a forerunner in utilising new
technology, and has been slow to implement change over the years. In fact, the
industry has barely seen much of a change since the fast food boom of the 1950s.
However, savvy entrepreneurs and the rise of digital technology have seen
restaurants investing money in apps, smartphones and gadgets to give them an
edge in an increasingly competitive industry.
In this briefing, We Are Apps explores how apps and the mobile web on
smartphones and tablets are making waves in the restaurant business and shaping
the future of the dining experience.
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3. Re-inventing the dining experience
Tablet Restaurant Management
Eateries and chain restaurants dishes available, nutritional Their tablet, Presto, has proven Merchants have noted that
are revamping the way they information and what wine goes to be an instant success. It monitoring usage, controlling
do business. Day planners are now best with each meal, these new incorporates a credit card reader, inventory and identifying problems
on smartphones and tablets as a “menus” are engaging customers table status visual notification, have all been enhanced thanks to
host of new apps are making life with their food in innovative ways. customised menus and over 20 the cloud-based reporting that the
and organising day-to-day business These devices also allow people to hours of battery life. There’s also a tablet provides.
easier for restaurateurs. play games, watch videos, read the range of functions for customers to
Developers are now creating apps news and much more. Customers peruse while waiting to be served, There’s been some apprehension
solely for restaurants to use on can even sign up for reward from games and trivia to drawing to the introduction of tablets.
tablets and smartphones. They programmes right from their table. apps for kids. For consumers, the Some restaurants fear that such
provide real-time views of tables, These tablets are a win-win for ability to split bills anyway they technology decreases the appeal
catalogue menus by a selection everyone involved. Tablets and like and order at their own pace of restaurant dining and the quality
of names and ingredients, process apps boost business and revenue, is appealing. The company has of service restaurants provide.
sales and delivery tickets and send as they keep patrons busy while reported that restaurants Tablet technology is still relatively
orders to the kitchen. These new they wait. This makes their dining implementing the Presto tablet new, however, and restaurateurs
technological developments for experience more enjoyable and have seen 10% sales boosts and are gradually adapting to
the restaurant industry aren’t increases the chances of diners higher newsletter sign-up rates, employees and new technology
just happening behind the spending more and becoming with customers being tempted by working seamlessly together while
scenes, however. repeat customers. high quality images and upsell still providing customers the best
techniques. dining experience.
The dining experience is changing One of the forerunners of this
front of house for customers too. movement is Silicon Valley-based E Other competitors in the restaurant
Traditional menus are being la Carte, a company that develops tablet market such as ShopKeep
replaced with e-menus and tablets. tableside tablets exclusively for the POS, have seen a significant
With features offering visual aids of restaurant and hospitality industry. increase in productivity and sales.
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4. On your mobile
Tablets aren’t the only form of technology making waves in the food – particularly among students – and restaurants clamouring to join
restaurant industry. An app called TabbedOut allows customers to view, the site to offer exclusive online deals in a bid to gain customers. Other apps
open and pay for their drinks or meal using their smartphone without having offering restaurant deals include TopTable, whose website success has seen
to wait for the server to bring their bill. It also can locate and call local taxi them expand to reach customers on the go. Discount sites like Groupon and
companies if a ride home is needed and offers social network integration LivingSocial have also created apps, targeting consumers by location in order
and check-in capabilities. to target potential customers more directly. Restaurant deals are one
of the most popular purchases, and establishments such as the Hilton Hotel
Mobile credit card apps are becoming increasingly popular in food and Marco Pierre White’s restaurants are offering customers fixed menus
establishments, with Japan utilising the mobile as a swiss-army knife of and discount courses via these voucher apps.
technology for years. Eric Savitz from Forbes.com says that smartphones
are becoming more like wallets, “holding apps the way our physical wallets Some of the biggest chain restaurants in the UK such as Pizza
hold cards and cash.” Users are being enticed to pay via apps with various Express, Wagamama and Wetherspoons have released free
rewards and loyalty badges being offered for making certain transactions. apps to attract diners. However, functionality is often limited
It’s certainly a lucrative market for both app developers and restaurants to locating your nearest restaurant and booking a table.
looking to retain and engage customers. Restaurants need to ensure their apps offer users unique
and exclusive content rather than a mobile-version of their
Away from the dining tables, however, another digital food revolution website in order to retain customers’ interest.
is affecting the restaurant industry.
With the popularity of discount websites like Groupon and
Ordering food from the touch LivingSocial offering dining deals daily, restaurants are quickly
of your mobile screen incorporating offers into apps for customers. Restaurants can
now target their customers anytime, anywhere on their mobiles,
The success of online takeaway site, Just Eat, has seen them launch their offering exclusive news, menus and more. Mobiles also
first app this year. Offering over 14,000 takeaways, customers can now make eliminate the need to print off coupons, with customers
their dining options on the move, placing orders on the way home so it’s simply being able to show a code from their devices.
ready for them when they arrive. This trend has seen a rise in delivery
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5. ...on your mobile
Following the food scene now. While the US has been quick to adapt to the current demand of sourcing
local produce and eating locally by creating apps for users, the UK has been
Restaurants also need to take note of another new aspect of the mobile slow to adapt to these changes.
revolution in food: User Generated Content. Foodspotting, an app from
the US but widely used in the UK, lets users rate and share favourite dishes Time will tell whether Street Food London and similar apps will take off for the
‘spotted’ in eateries. With visual guides to good food and where to find it, UK market but with the increasing demand for local mobile content, expect to
the app has featured on Time’s 50 Best iPhone Apps of 2012. It’s great for see many more locally-focussed apps hitting the Apps Store.
users wanting to source restaurants and places to eat locally. It has also seen
success through providing users to join a community of similar food lovers.
Unlike Time Out’s apps, where clever restaurateurs and food brands can
place banner advertising, FoodSpotting doesn’t take advertising yet.
However, canny food propositions can still get involved by creating content
directly on the app. In fact, the concept of building brand communities and
providing shareability for app content is a crucial component to seeing food
apps gain momentum for users on the move, looking for new ideas from
trusted sources.
One food community straddling both the real and digital worlds are street
food markets, which have seen a revival in recent years amongst curious food
goers. Street food fanatics can now always find the latest street food with a
range of new apps promoting local and community food. Street Food London
is a new app that launched in January 2013. It features over 100 London
traders and markets that are continually updated, includes social media links,
the ability to view all markets on the map and see what markets are open right
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6. The marketing angle
There’s another angle to restaurant apps: promotion. Chefs have taken The Brand
advantage of users’ willingness to use apps in the kitchen and have seen opportunity
phenomenal success, particularly Gordon Ramsay, James Martin and
Jamie Oliver. Great British Chefs – a collection of the UK’s finest chefs – Recipe websites and Brands are
launched their first app last year. It went on to feature in The Sunday Times creating apps too. Country Life
Top 500 App List and win awards. The success has seen them launch two Butter released Great British Picnics
further apps – Feastive and Summertime – in 2012, the latter becoming one last year with a range of features
of Apple’s Best of 2012 apps – a rare accolade awarded to less than 100 of from treasure hunts to picnics with
the 700,000 apps in their store.* a twist. The app also features a
range of recipes using Country Life
Jamie Oliver has also launched a successful app range for mobile and tablets, Butter. Likewise, Philadelphia created an app that
from app versions of his award-winning cookbooks to brand new recipe apps. lets users create and add items to shopping lists,
A well-used technique is to offer a limited amount of recipes free, then charge add recipes to their Recipe Box and share recipe
for premium content. It’s a ideas with friends. It’s a great way to entice and
win-win situation for the chef. inspire users to use your product and the ability
Their restaurant is being to share recipes on social media through the app
promoted and they are means brands are reaching a wider audience with
earning ancillary revenue from their products.
the sole of the app.
*We must confess, Great British Chefs is one of our creations.
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7. The beginning of the revolution
Mobile, apps and tablets are changing the
way we interact with our dining experience
for the long run. Social Media is now a key
component to any company’s marketing
strategy. With the rise of second screen
advertising, tablets and smartphones,
connecting with customers through their
devices will become essential for
restaurateurs.
There’s still a lot of room for technology to
take hold in the restaurant business. The
potential benefits for both consumers and
restaurants, however, vastly outweigh the
limitations. Tablets, apps and smartphones
are here to revolutionise the restaurant
industry for the long-run.
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8. Sources
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September 6, 2012 E La Carte Releases More Powerful Local restaurants making tech the tablets for restaurants,
Version Of Customized Tablet For investments, Sep 18, 2012 December 1, 2012
http://www.onthegoware.com/ Restaurants, November 13, 2012
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