Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 5:29PMCan I Get a Side of iPad to go?
Restaurant in Australia puts Menu on iPad
This is very cool! A Sydney restaurant, Global Mundo Tapas, has replaced their old printed restaurant menus with iPads, allowing you to order your meal via touch screen device v.s. flagging down a hostess to find your server when you're ready.
The menu provides all the information a standard restaurant menu does (items, prices, etc.) but also allows you to check out a picture of the dish (putting a little more pressure on the kitchen to strive for proper presentation). The "iMenu" can also suggest food and wine pairings. When you've decided what you want, you send the order wirelessly to the BOH.
While the servers still need to bring the order to your table, I bet the iPad doesn't ask for a smoke break in the middle of the rush or try to skate out on sidework at the end of the shift! "I rolled my silverware, I swear!"
Does your brand do anything this cool currently? I'd love to hear your comments below.
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Reader Comments (4)
A truly innovative concept. Two issues come to mind however. The first is the initial cost of iPads for each guest and the wear and tear on them such as how they are collected from the guest, where they are stored, how many drinks are spilled on them, etc. The other is that the iPads for each table need to be synced somehow or the system must allow the chef to know that 4 disparate orders coming in at different times are for the same table so courses can be served with appropriate timing.
In answer to your question, "Does your brand do anything this cool currently?" Our company, VR National, films virtual tours of restaurants (1,300 to date around the country) and displays these tours (Main Dining, Bar, Patio, PDR) on the restaurant listing pages of our partner sites namely Zagat, Urbanspoon, RestaurantRow and Google. The restaurant can use them on the website, Facebook page, and in email marketing, etc. Ruths Chris, Darden, Grill Concepts, BLT, and many others are clients. Images sell. People researching restaurants online quite often don't have any idea what the restaurant ambience and atmosphere is like. This visual imagery viewed in about 30 seconds can very often make them decide to book a reservation or walk in the door.
The Grill on the Alley- Dallas, TX
Dale,
Great care is certainly needed for the idea to work, perhaps in only higher end concepts.
I really like the restaurant virtual tour idea! That will be a powerful marketing tool, as evidenced by the Real Estate market's success with just that technology.
Hi Brian
Actually the virtual tours work well for restaurants that are not necessarily considered higher end too. An example of that is Johhny's PoBoys in New Orleans. Simply a sandwich and beer concept, they are getting over a thousand views of their virtual tours monthly. It especially works well if the name of the restaurant is not indicative of the atmosphere, such as The Grill on the Alley. The name brings up images in ones mind of, well a grill in an alley. Yet, the restaurant is appointed very well and is a great business, date or family place.
Dale, I look forward to hearing more and more about VR National. Sounds like a great niche service!