iMenus
by Scott Hardie on November 3, 2012
I think we just experienced the future of restaurants. I thought that once before, and it turned out to be true, but in that case the trend was years late coming to Sarasota after large cultural centers like New York and Los Angeles. We might be a few years behind on this new trend as well, but I still see it becoming commonplace.
The restaurant we tried a few nights ago was Carmel Cafe. The food was ok. The service was mixed. What set it apart was the ordering experience. Each table receives two iPads loaded with interactive menus, featuring full photos and descriptions of every dish and drink. When you want something, you select it on the iPad and the kitchen gets to work. You can order a batch of items at once, like desserts all around, or just one item if you like. A few minutes later, the food shows up at your table. You can view your ongoing check at any time, and pay the bill directly on the iPad when you're done. A waitress still stops by your table every few minutes in case you need anything.
Interacting with a glowing screen instead of a menu or a human server was not especially noteworthy, but the option to order your meal in parts, when you want each part, really made a difference. The occasion for our meal was both a birthday celebration and the last time we would share our engagement with someone new in person, so we really wanted extra time to converse at the table without interruption. The format gave us that. It also helped us take more control of our meal: When Kelly changed her mind on a drink, a new one showed up a few minutes later. When my entree proved unsatisfying, a side dish showed up a few minutes later. This was a great way to dine.
I can see this format working especially well in two kinds of restaurants: Hang-out joints like Denny's and Steak 'n Shake where large groups of young people gather for hours to chat and occasionally order something, and places where tiny portions are the norm like sushi bars and tapas bars where you might want to order a series of small dishes. Our local Denny's already has a doorbell-like button you can press at your table to summon a waiter any time (a feature conspicuously missing from Carmel's iPad), so they've already taken one step in this direction.
There are tangential benefits to the interactive menus, too: Run out of a particular item? Just take it off the menu, or post a "sold out" notice that prevents people from ordering it. Need to clear your supply of an overstocked item in a hurry before another shipment arrives? Just reduce the price and declare it a sale item, instantly. There's potential for prankster kids with programming skills to tamper with your menus, but you could always keep paper menus on hand as a backup.
Though the iPads would probably pay for themselves over the long run because of reduced labor costs, they would still represent a large up-front investment and make a restaurant even less likely to succeed. I wouldn't want to open a new restaurant with the iPad menus, but I sure do want to eat at more restaurants using them.
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
Spiders on Drugs
Thanks, Aaron. (link) Go »Roller Coaster
Our lives have had lots of ups and downs lately. I'd blog about each of these separately if I could. DOWN - Kelly is laid off again. Go »Normal Paranormal
This will offend believers in the paranormal, so read at your own peril. Socially, I've tried to keep it a polite secret that I don't believe in any paranormal phenomena, including the everyday sort. Several of my local friends practice feng shui, buy healing magnets, size people up based on their birth signs, and go to dieticians who tell them not to eat foods of certain colors. Go »To the Victor Belongs the Spoils
If only I had $4000 to spare: Sopranos Pinball Go »2012
What a great year. Kelly and I got engaged. Kelly gained permanent employment and health benefits. Go »
