Over the past several years, the luxury experience has changed considerably. Instead of focusing on buying "things," the millennial audience, in particular, has shifted to using the bulk of their purchasing power on experiences. They want to live big, live well, and enjoy the experiences that are offered to them--including the way they eat their meals.
This means big changes for the restaurant industry as the face of the modern dining experience changes forever. While many customers are content with a fast food meal or a quick casual dining offering, restaurants that want to stay at the top of the food chain will find that their focus must change in order to support a continuing influx of customers who are looking for something new from their restaurant. Many restaurants are turning to unique designs, trendy setups, and exceptional service offerings in order to better appeal to their target audience.Embracing Technological Advancement
Some restaurants are choosing to offer discounts for customers who interact with one another instead of with their phones at the dinner table. Other restaurants, however, are choosing to embrace technological advancement and make it part of the dining experience. Touchscreen cafe tables, for example, make it easier than ever for customers to place their own orders, pay their bills, and even request refills and other assistance from their servers without requiring them to flag down someone actually working at the restaurant. In fact, some restaurants have gone so far as to remove the need for human interaction entirely: they've gone waiterless, encouraging customers to use technology for these vital tasks. The current changes in technology have the potential to shape the way restaurants do business forever--and smart restaurants are staying at the forefront of those advances.
Enhancing Convenience
Many people have the luxury of going out to a restaurant, sitting down, and enjoying the whole experience. In other cases, however, it's necessary to rush through the meal experience as quickly as possible. People don't have time for a leisurely meal, and they quickly become frustrated by anyone who gets in their way. Offering enhanced convenience, therefore, is one of the best ways for restaurants to offer customers more of what they really want.
Time-Saving Apps
Many restaurants--especially fast food restaurants--have long since embraced online ordering. When an order is placed online or via an app, it's not necessary for the customer to wait on a server to visit their table, read through the menu to make a selection, then wait longer for their food to be prepared. Instead, they can place their order ahead of time. Then, their food is waiting on them when they arrive! Time-saving apps like KindChef are rapidly becoming the new normal. Customers who are looking for a fast way to satisfy their hunger or end their cravings are quickly finding that ordering via app is the best way to make it happen. Simply offering online ordering can, in fact, boost take-out revenue by as much as 30%.
Increased Delivery Options
With time so short, it's little wonder that so many people are struggling to find ways to cut down on the time they have to spend dealing with the process of eating. They don't have time to cook. In some cases, they barely have time to go pick up their food. In these cases, delivery offers an incredible level of enhanced convenience--and for many restaurants, it's the best way to stay competitive and keep their business moving forward. 74% of millennials actually report a preference for delivery, which doesn't require them to stop what they're doing, drive across town to pick up a meal, and head back out again. Almost 60% of customers are eager to take advantage of delivery options--so if your restaurant doesn't have this option available, you're missing out on a great opportunity to make more out of your existing customer base.
Mobile Payment
Customers need to get in and out of restaurants as fast as they can--and fumbling for a debit card or waiting for a server to bring a check is a thing of the past. Instead, restaurants need mobile payment options that will allow them to more effectively present customers with payment solutions that will allow them to quickly take care of their payment and be on their way.
Loyalty Programs
Today's customers have dozens of options. When they're ready to head out to eat, they can choose anywhere--so why would they choose your restaurant out of the crowd of others? Offering a great loyalty program doesn't just mean issuing customers a card that will fall out of their wallets when they're trying to figure out where to have dinner. It will also allow them to accumulate points toward future rewards, influencing them to choose your restaurant more often.
Offering the Unique
For those who are simply seeking out an experience with their meal, rather than hoping to quickly fill their bellies without having to spend a great deal of time on it, there are plenty of unique offerings to choose from--and people are jumping at the chance to experience them.
The Full Experience
At Sagaya, diners won't just get dinner and a show. They'll be able to enjoy a full immersive dining experience as the images on their table change with every course. In fact, each image is often linked to an individual dish, which releases its design as it is placed on the table.
Providing Sound Management
When customers visit a restaurant, they don't want to have to shout in order to be heard by the people at their table. High-quality sound management, with no shortcuts and no excuses, is a great way to cater to this group. By controlling the way sound is absorbed and projected in the restaurant, it's possible to create a luxury dining experience that will impress customers with both the privacy that's available and the lack of ambient noise to disturb them throughout the meal.
Changing the Duties of Servers
As artificial intelligence grows, so does its potential. Many restaurants are using artificial intelligence to reduce the duties of servers, freeing them to spend their time actually waiting on the customer. Eliminating cashier duties for servers, for example, allows them to focus on customer service: responding faster to requests, remaining more attentive throughout the meal, and simply connecting with customers, among other tasks. Artificial intelligence can also offer guest profiles before or during the dining process to allow servers to understand their desires and requests even before they've asked for something. Programs like the Ready mobile app and others can give servers super powers by freeing them up to spend more time directly with customers.
Mouth-Watering Healthy Choices
With the rising obesity rates in America, it's little wonder that many diners are avidly seeking out healthier choices. They want to enjoy their restaurant experience without tacking on excess calories or having to worry that they're going to make themselves ill. There's a trick to creating the perfect healthy menu offerings, however: they have to taste just as good as the other dishes being offered. If your restaurant can perfect the art of healthy cooking, providing customers with dishes that will delight their taste buds, then you're already at the front of your game.
Creating the perfect modern dining experience is an ongoing process. As technology continues to shape service, many restaurants will find themselves struggling to stay at the front of the wave of change. By checking out the latest trends and understanding the expectations of today's customers, however, it's possible to keep your restaurant at the front of customers' choices, encouraging them to keep coming back to you for all of their dining needs.