Big Data has almost entirely reshaped the hospitality industry. Collecting large swaths of data helps businesses tailor their services to fit their customers’ exacting standards. For restaurants, this has helped many shave expenses by showing them exactly what their customers crave.A group of recent college graduates in the Boston area have developed an app that will level the playing field between large, corporate restaurants and mom-and-pop shops who need technology to stay competitive in the hospitality industry.
PinOn scans QR codes placed on tables that allow patrons to look through a restaurant’s menu. It also allows customers to see how their food is prepared and alert them to any allergens that may be present. The app offers special deals to customers that may not be on the menu, and perks like free sodas or side dishes.
“I think it’s crucial and I think that’s been the biggest change in my almost 50 years of being in the restaurant business,” Chris Muller, a professor of hospitality at Boston University, told Boston 25 News. “How we’ve had to change to adapt to social media, the digital world, changing menus, and changing the way we communicate our dishes.”
Some of the apps creators say this technology can help small businesses who don’t have the infrastructure to create their own apps. They specifically market to these businesses so that they can remain competitive with behemoths who have their own app technology.
This type of technology, is turning an oft forgotten piece of a restaurant into a necessary piece of infrastructure that can provide data insights. This allows restaurants to quickly update their menus in order to improve both customer experience and their bottom line.
Instagram Culture
There are no businesses that have benefited more from Instagram than restaurants. The social media platform allows users to share their pictures and, unsurprisingly, a lot of people take pictures of their food. For restaurants, this is free advertising. If you put a delicious plate in front of an Instagram user, chances are it will end up on the site.
Instagram culture has become an insight machine for restaurants. Now, restaurants have the ability to use interactive menu features, boost high-definition pictures of food, and share video content that shows users how their food is created. By utilizing this interactive menu, restaurants can get data on what food items are most popular and share great content that may resonates with their customers.
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