“Pivotal” technology solutions could encourage millennials to dine out more and save Britain’s restaurant industry.
Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of hospitality tech start-up Flyt has revealed the top 10 tech solutions that 18 to 34-year-olds would most like to see in restaurants in the future.
The survey comes after research by national accountancy group UHY Hacker Young found that pre-tax profits at the UK’s top 100 restaurants plunged by 80 per cent in the last year.
Flyt argues that 2018 has been “a bad year” for the country’s restaurant industry, with the likes of Jamie’s Italian, Byron and GBK all announcing closures.
But the London-based company says introducing pivotal tech solutions could be the “light at the end of the tunnel”.
Forty per cent of millennials surveyed said they want to be able to book a table through an app or social media channels; a third want to be able to use their smartphones to get more accurate wait times; and over a quarter want to be able to order food on a restaurant tablet – or their own device.
Meanwhile, 24 per cent would like to see tech introduced which guaranteed that their order wasn’t wrong and over one in five (22 per cent) would like to use tech that allowed them to directly tip waiting staff.
“These top ‘dream tech’ solutions put forward by Millennials underline the rapid digital transformation of our society,” said Flyt chief executive Tom Weaver.
“Restaurants can no longer look at technology as optional – integrating it in the right way is now critical to attract diners.”
Weaver said he was surprised that millennials’ most desired tech solution was the ability to book a table through a social media platform.
“This tech is already widely available in many restaurants – but perhaps they aren’t publicising it well enough,” he added.
Among the other ‘dream tech’ solutions were: the ability to see personalised menus based on dietary requirements; tech that gives you more information about ingredients; the ability to leave detailed feedback easily online; tech that helps you find out the source of ingredients in a dish; and a solution to streamline operations to help people eat out quicker.
Weaver added: “When you look at how frustrated people are with the current dining out experience, it’s time for more of the industry to invest in this sort of technology.
“Streamlining service and creating a brilliant experience, it seems, is everything.”