Food vs. Tech: Digitisation and the Restaurant Industry

Picture this, you’re seated at a table and find a lovely menu in front of you. Alongside the

House Specials and on the side of the list of desserts, you may see a QR Code. Digital menus have become popular in many establishments, even before the pandemic. However, since restaurants started to comply with lockdown rules, you could see more of these greeting you as you took your seat.

The restaurant industry has been known to be reluctant to digitisation in the past. However, more and more restaurants are becoming tech powered in tandem with their edible creations. This comes from the demands of the customers. People want to have that faceless interaction, whether that is scanning a QR code to order from the menu and reduce interaction with waitstaff or making sure that contactless payment is available. And restaurants are listening.

It’s not an option anymore for restaurants to be behind on this digital revolution. Many places are truly paving the way in becoming tech-first businesses. Technology has perhaps squeezed its way into the industry purely because of how complex it is to run a restaurant or a business in the hospitality trade. Many places have found how much it eases the burden of providing a seamless experience for their customers. From creating a food ordering system, to managing customer experience, all the way to stocking fresh local food and ultimately bringing in new customers into your establishment, technology has helped many businesses with these concerns.

Consistency can also be maintained through the power of technology. A flow between leadership and service quality is one way many establishments create hospitable environment for their customers. It’s important to note that implementing digitisation into your services doesn’t mean completely eradicating the human aspect. Robots won’t be taking over the jobs of waiters (that’s a whole other blog post). In fact, the hospitality industry relies on this. Restaurants like The Shanaz utilise face-to-face services to provide an invaluable customer experience. A cheerful hello can really make a customer’s day. A knowledgeable waiter that can guide the customer through the menu can also ease them into the ambience of your restaurant.

This is where the social aspect of digitisation really comes in. Although customers want to order their food through a screen rather than a phone call, they still want to feel spoken to. Social media has been the perfect place for that. Alongside the artistic pictures of food on the Gram, creating quick Reels of behind the scenes, discussing menus on Facebook posts and sharing industry news on Twitter, social media has really taken the hospitality industry by storm within the last five to ten years.

You can check out The Shanaz on our social medias to see how we are doing amongst the

vast networks of other restaurants both within Cornwall and outside.

Facebook: @shanazrestaurant

Instagram: @theshanaz

Let us know what your opinions on the digitalisation of restaurants is. Do you think we need to go further into this vast techno-sphere to help provide customers with the service they want? Or do you think finding a good middle ground between traditional practices and digital practices should be found? We would love to hear your thoughts.