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Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

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Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#71

Post by davemc500hats »

malachismith wrote: post #59
davemcclure wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) I've been a customer of restaurants for far longer than I've been a tech entrepreneur. 2) I've been an investor in over 20 food-tech based Startups. I'm not clueless about the industry. 3) I come from middle-class (or lower-class!) america -- Appalachia, to be exact -- and my opinions are not based exclusively on either fast food restaurants nor high-class ones, but rather all of the above. you're welcome to your…

Being a customer of restaurants and being an investor in food tech start-ups is not the same as understanding operating a food service business. That logic is similar to the logic of people who say, "I love cooking, I'll open a restaurant." (which, by the way, is one of the major causes of the high rate of infant restaurant mortality).

look dude, i get your argument, but again i'm not friggin retarded about an industry i've spent a half-decade investing in/around, and in fact made my first restaurant investment over 10 years ago.

get off your high horse, i've got a clue and my extended family has been involved in food service businesses since the great depression.

Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#72

Post by davemc500hats »

jw_ wrote: post #30

Virtually everything he complains about - the broad range of choice, unfamiliar items, long periods of time spent without electronic distractions, semi-forced interactions with people - are what most would consider positive aspects of fine dining. As others have said, there are other establishments that show you pictures of a limited range of familiar items and that slam them out in a short period of time - they're c…

>> unfamiliar items >> semi-forced interactions with people >> long periods of time spent without "electronic distractions" -- ie, the ability to pay when i want, and call a waiter when i want

so just to confirm here -- you really think that's what people like about high-end restaurants? they enjoy unfamiliarity? they enjoy forced interactions? they like to not be able to pay when they want?

if so, please remind me to never put you in charge of customer service or marketing at any of our companies.

seriously: i party down with people at nightclubs and concerts regularly, but waiting in line or getting shitty customer service is never what i equate with the best parts of those experiences.

Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#73

Post by davemc500hats »

ConfitDeCanard wrote: post #20

"While some smart restaurants do feature a few specials (some even with pictures), most places fail at this very simple (largely offline!) innovation. Fewer items with pictures & more obvious recommendations would streamline production, reduce cost, reduce time for customers to order, for kitchens to prepare, and increase customer satisfaction." Restaurateurs are actually a far more sophisticated bunch than McClure k…

>> "He's in a rush, doesn't like making decisions, can't do research on his own, wants to minimize interaction with restaurant staff, is afraid to ask questions"

i think you just described: 1) most moms, 2) most people who work day jobs, and 3) most people who are first-time visitors at restaurants.

in other words, you just described... most people.

so while i appreciate your right to your own dining experience, assuming there isn't a huge effing market with those needs is an extremely narrow view of the dining universe.

regardless, you're welcome to bet your own money on snooty, unresponsive, offline dining experiences with menus that are confusing and non-illustrative.

meanwhile, i'll bet our fund on the other kind, that everyone else in middle america (& the rest of the world) might appreciate.

Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#74

Post by davemc500hats »

pixl97 wrote: post #4
kstenerud wrote: post #3

Actually, I like menus with lots of choices. It would be nice to have more pictures, though.

I find it pretty common given a list of foods that I like, the one with a good picture is the one I'll most likely order. Having more pictures may or may not benefit the restaurant though... Use of a few pictures now could lead customers to buy a higher profit item, or an item that is much easier to keep in stock in large amounts. Use of pictures for all items means that the customer will likely expect the food to th…

trustworthy, high-quality pictures lead to conversion.

untrustworthy, high-quality pictures lead to customer dissatisfaction.

regardless of my arguments, i suggest restaurants not lie to people, either by NOT including photos, or including photos of stuff that ISN'T what they're going to get.

Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#75

Post by davemc500hats »

jmartens wrote: post #64
caffeineninja wrote: post #16

This has been done to a degree, and it failed pretty quickly, faster than most. uWink opened a restaurant in Mountain View with tablets for ordering food and playing games while you wait. The tablets had menu items complete with photos, reviews, and it took about 15 minutes for the food to arrive to your table. Typically the waitstaff would only bring you your drinks and food. The Mountain View location of uWink was…

yes, because 1 company/restaurant failed...no other will ever succeed. Thanks for your ever so brilliant wisdom.

seriously.

and the world needs like, maybe 5 computers total.

Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#76

Post by davemc500hats »

pshah88 wrote: post #66

I read through Dave's blog and through all of the comments here and I find this very funny. Dave is right, Food is huge and is only getting bigger. I have worked with restaurants for 5+ years now, specifically in technology, and both restaurants and consumers want to see this industry evolve and there is not going to be just one solution that solves all of its problems. To people who are saying they do not want scree…

thanks

Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#77

Post by davemc500hats »

paul_f wrote: post #62

The restaurant industry divides itself into four classifications - quick serve (Wendys), fast casual (Chipotle), Table Service (Chili's) and Fine Dining (Ruth's Chris). I can see e-menus making headway in Table Service spots where people are usually in more of a hurry, might have kids, and the restaurants don't always have the best servers. I can envision wine menus in Fine Dining locations. Most restaurants focus on…

more efficient ordering / reduced turnover time / increased ticket size are good for almost all of the categories above.

while reduced turnover time might not seem to be what Ruth's Chris is looking for, if they're full to capacity, and people are ready to leave/pay sooner, don't you think the people will be happier and the restaurant can seat another customer?

again i'm astonished at how many people think increased efficiency = you have to rush.

nothing could be further from the truth -- it's because service is efficient that you DON'T have to rush.

Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#78

Post by djt »

davemc500hats wrote: post #71
malachismith wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being a customer of restaurants and being an investor in food tech start-ups is not the same as understanding operating a food service business. That logic is similar to the logic of people who say, "I love cooking, I'll open a restaurant." (which, by the way, is one of the major causes of the high rate of infant restaurant mortality).

look dude, i get your argument, but again i'm not friggin retarded about an industry i've spent a half-decade investing in/around, and in fact made my first restaurant investment over 10 years ago. get off your high horse, i've got a clue and my extended family has been involved in food service businesses since the great depression.

no point feeding trolls Dave. Good luck with your investment, as I said in a comment below I know one of your competitors very well and it is a very competitive market to try and crack. Good luck to you both.

Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#79

Post by djt »

davemc500hats wrote: post #72
jw_ wrote: post #30

Virtually everything he complains about - the broad range of choice, unfamiliar items, long periods of time spent without electronic distractions, semi-forced interactions with people - are what most would consider positive aspects of fine dining. As others have said, there are other establishments that show you pictures of a limited range of familiar items and that slam them out in a short period of time - they're c…

>> unfamiliar items >> semi-forced interactions with people >> long periods of time spent without "electronic distractions" -- ie, the ability to pay when i want, and call a waiter when i want so just to confirm here -- you really think that's what people like about high-end restaurants? they enjoy unfamiliarity? they enjoy forced interactions? they like to not be able to pay when they want? if so, please remind me t…

Working in products for hospitality, one of the hardest things to get right is staffing, especially in peak times.

Having a consistent product is also important when trying to grow a business (especially pubs and restaurants) and I can see hoe something like this would improve the experience for customers, if used well.

Re: Deep Thoughts on the Food Tech Revolution by Captain Obvious McClure

#80

Post by CurtMonash »

I don't think lack of personalization is a big problem. If I have something I like, I generally remember that well enough to order it next time. That fits with the general rule that personalization has a clearer, easier-to-prove benefits for vendors than for purchasers

More information about menu items I haven't ordered before would be great. But for me a list of ingredients would be much more important than a picture.

Check-out efficiency would be wonderful. The same expensive tablet that offers that at every table could probably be used for upsell of desserts and after-dinner beverages, both for impulse-purchase reasons and because restaurants struggle to take those orders at the right time just as they struggle to bring you the check exactly when you want it.

An ETA on next-course arrival would be welcome, just as it is for airplanes. That's another good use for an on-table electronic device.

----------------------

Anyhow, Dave was calling for a huge redesign in the processes whereby restaurants operate. It's much more reasonable to think of these ideas working at SOME new restaurants than of them working at a large fraction of existing old ones.

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