How restaurants can use technology to their advantage

From iPhones to laptops, technology is embedded in our every day lives in almost every way possible.  We often look to these devices to help us decide where to go dine, make reservations, even assist with our orders.   The most successful restauranteurs learn how to utilize technology and integrate it into the dining experience.  Here’s how you can use technology in your restaurant business.

Using social media for marketing

Adding social media to your restaurant marketing plan can be a great way to increase awareness, engage consumers, and ultimately bring people through the door.  It’s important to think like your customer and set the tone of your messaging to appeal to your target market.  Posting pictures of your dishes is a great way to gain new followers as images are the most shared posts on social media.

Online restaurant reservations

Using online restaurant reservation websites such as Open Table make it easy for your customers to find available times and book a reservation.  Uber co-founder Garret Camp teamed up with Foursquare co-founder Naveen Selvadurai to create a new online reservation website aptly name Reserved set to launch in the Fall 2014.  You can also add online reservation directly to your business’s website.  The NoWait App allows diners to stay at home or roam around until their table is ready.

Table top ordering devices

Younger diners are more readily embracing tabletop ordering devices in casual-dining restaurants compared with older customers.  Pittsburgh-based Butcher and the Rye, boasting over 350 different types of bourbon, utilizes the iPad mini to help patrons decide on their libation.  According to Nation’s Restaurant News, Forty-one percent of 18- to 24-year-olds were interested in tabletop technology in casual-dining restaurants, Market Force found. Percentages dropped as ages increased: 31 percent for 25- to 34-year-olds, 25 percent for the 35- to 44-year-olds, 20 percent for 45- to 54-year-olds, 15 percent for 55- to 64-year-olds, and 10 percent for those 65 and older.