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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

#61

Post by angryasian »

malachismith wrote: post #52
angryasian wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this is my experience from working in many restaurants (not as a cook) along with being a foodie. While food tastes differ and is subjective, all you'd have to do is compare the best restaurants menu with a food buffet.

There are hundreds if not thousands of amazing dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong and Saigon that prove you wrong. Beyond that.... as a former back of the house restaurant employee (10+ years, Cordon Bleu, blah blah) I can tell you that the only time fewer dishes is a guarantee of higher quality is when the staff isn't skilled.

You can go through several lists for the top 50? restaurants in the world will prove you wrong. Not one is chinese and I doubt any serve the traditional dim sum style with the carts rolling around.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/30/worlds-50-best-rest...

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

#62

Post by paul_f »

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 keeping costs low even more than top-line revenues, so my guess is an innovative business model might be needed for a wide deployment. But nothing wrong with a little disruption in this space.

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

#64

Post by jmartens »

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.

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

#66

Post by pshah88 »

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 screens on their tables, then do not use them, but I will argue you are in the minority. The high-end restaurants that would go on for an anniversary dinner or take a big client out will probably not have that because you pay for attentive service. However, for the fast-casual restaurant space, which is the fast growing, people don't expect that level attention from servers and why it makes sense to integrate virtual order, user history, reviews, etc. This stuff is coming and it will be better for everyone, including restaurants, because they will receive more information about their customers and can start making better business decisions like what menu items to keep or get rid of.

The restaurant industry is just very slow to adapt, generally speaking, because the people that run them have not grown up in the age of technology and are focused on the operations. As more new restaurant owners come, this will change and the opportunities in food tech will grow larger.

Great article Dave.

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

#67

Post by bengwatson »

Inertia and friction will always be a challenge. I would suggest combining the online ordering process (website) with the in house ordering process(menu) by creating a 'second screen' that can be used on a cell phone to display more in depth menu information (pictures, reviews, payment etc) regardless of location. As the approach gains traction introduce iPads into the restaurant. Frankly, with so many large screen phones and iPads already in use it would be great to see an ordering solution that spans local and online customers.

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

#68

Post by davemc500hats »

fudged71 wrote: post #22
kolektiv wrote: post #10

God I'd hate this. Restaurants are places of relaxation, company, discovery, beautiful foods. I want to order something which sounds good and then see whether it is - I want it to come to me as a surprise - "Oh Tuscan Rabbit? I wonder how the chef will do it confit... Oh! Wow, let's try this then!" It's not about efficiency, it's about atmosphere. I don't want a glowing screen anywhere near my dining table. I don't w…

Yes, I agree. Efficiency is not what I want from a restaurant. Waiting for my order is one of those rare times to spend time with someone, discuss things, and absorb the restaurant atmosphere. A good restaurant menu doesn't list all ingredients and recipes, presentations and pictures. I want that anticipation, that wonder, and that trust in the chef. When I receive my food I like to be surprised; to discovery and exp…

>> "Efficiency is not what I want from a restaurant."

umm, pretty sure that there IS a very large market of people who DO want efficiency as one of the attributes of restaurant customer service, even at the absolute high-end.

in fact, some might say high-end restaurants excel at efficiency and customer service, and technology to bring this to the masses (whether at McD's or at French Laundry) would be welcomed by all.

efficiency != low quality experience; in fact quite the contrary.

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

#69

Post by ordrin »

johnrob wrote: post #26

A few issues: 1) Will implementing these features actually increase profit? This was never addressed. 2) Restaurant revenue does not grow exponentially into the sky like many internet businesses do. There are hard limits on growth. Thus the ROI on measurement (A/B testing) won't be nearly as high. 3) Is a digital ordering system (with all the bells and whistles) something that is high on the priority list of a typica…

I've worked around the restaurant industry for 10+ years and am a founder of Ordr.in, part of 500S' food portfolio. Digital ordering absolutely increases profitability. Average tickets are higher (estimates are 15-20% higher) and cost of serving the order reduced. Plus online orders smooth out and extend demand. I.e. serve more customers without adding fixed cost. Restaurants are just beginning to adopt online and digital tabletop ordering. Not only is online ordering profitable (though I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution) but customers are demanding it. This year 40% of diners will order online at least once (up from 13% 5 years ago). If merchants don't lead, customers will.

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

#70

Post by davemc500hats »

greggman wrote: post #17
ezran wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. Intrusive LCD panels at the table, removal from human interaction, horrid restaurant-chosen hierarchies of categories to wade through, etc... With menus, everybody gets one and can peruse as they see fit, rather than a little shared computer. With a waiter/waitress you can talk through special options or dealing with split bills and anything like that. And don't get me started on social and tracking -- I can…

The right tool for the job. If I'm going on a date I want a chef. If I'm going to a cheap izakaya in tokyo with 4-12 friends for cheap drinks and snacks I'm perfectly happy with color LCD ordering touch screens which they've had here since 2005. There's a time and place for both. Being able to sit and eat with a group of friends and not have a waiter interrupt your conversation can be a plus

>> "Being able to sit and eat with a group of friends and not have a waiter interrupt your conversation can be a plus"

but that's exactly my point. without useful methods of communication with waiters, they will likely interrupt, and/or you will be kept waiting.

i'm flabbergasted by the number of people who seem to interpret efficient communication as mutually exclusive from a high-end restaurant or good customer service.

they aren't at all mutually exclusive, and in fact they are exactly in pursuit of same goal.

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