Are You Missing Out on these “Future-Proof” Tech Tools in Your Bar or Restaurant?

A new study shows QR codes and cryptocurrency are here to stay.

Before COVID-19, QR codes were kind of a novel cute use of technology that never served a purpose. But they’re now essential to the “new normal” for many years to come.

New research shows guests want even more technology in bars and restaurants. Pollsters from hospitality tech company me&u quizzed more than 2,000 people internationally. The majority of respondents say they want “smart technology,” like mobile apps for ordering and reservations.

Now me&u sells hospitality technology tools. But it shouldn’t discredit the findings entirely. The company did ask many from one continent to another. It does raise questions like when are some of this technology best fit for your business? Below is a breakdown of the three most niche responses.

1. Smart technology

More than 3 in 5 said they wanted mobile apps to split a check with their friends while out. In the past, GEM Journal’s president has argued against removing the humanity from hospitality experience. But evolve over time. A server or bartender can still take food and drink orders and deliver them to guests.

Really the request is to remove the only uncomfortable or awkward part that may arise during a night out. Sometimes servers get slammed with guests and it gets more difficult to get their attention when it’s time to leave. Having the convenience to just pay and leave whenever you like only enhances the experience. It puts guests in control of their own time and bill. Rather than slowing down the service for a customer to get their checks, they can just pay on their own.

2. Personalization

With the increased use of technology comes the potential to track personalized data. In the past, more may have been reluctant to hand over their preferences but it’s become normalized. In fact, many see benefits to their future experience.

When restaurants gain access to customers’ personal preferences it gives them the ability to cater to a personalized experience. Four in five respondents said they want “bars and restaurants to cater to all budgets and provide good value for money options.”

To deliver business needs context to what that means. Restaurant companies can tailor menus by mining data based on the nearby customer demographic.

3. Web3

This may sound weird but it’s no longer a trend and become part of mainstream culture. There are Super Bowl ads featuring cryptocurrency and NFTs. Sure enough, restaurants accept cryptocurrency for payment.

WEB3 is basically a catch-all term for the next wave of the internet. Cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are considered part of current and future finance. It’s considered a decentralized version of the internet. All data is served on unhackable blockchains. Most respondents expect the use of these technologies in their future dining experiences.

Even half of the millennial respondents say they want to experience the bar or restaurant on the Metaverse before going in person. You can back in 1998, people thought the idea of viewing Google maps and images before heading out was weird too.