rs should also have a digital experience

Around 80% of customers expect to be able use technology to place orders at casual restaurants. This is a result of QR codes being widely used for contactless ordering. This is not all.

Perry Turbes (CEO of HungerRush), stated that “from initial search and discovery through to the ordering and post-meal engagements, consumers want a seamless, personalized experience catered specifically to their individual needs.”

The data is from the “The RushReport 2023 Restaurant Consumer Experience Report” by HungerRush, a restaurant management software. This report was based on a survey with 1,000 adults in the United States.

Why we care. Because it echos a message that we hear all the time, HungerRush’s data (which has skin in this game) makes it compelling. Consumers, across the board, in this instance literal consumers, are blurring the line between digital and physical.

It was once that ordering food from a restaurant or bar was done in person. Even ordering takeout meant walking into the restaurant and talking with people. These things still occur. Diners now expect a digital experience for wine and liquor delivery as well as food delivery. This includes feedback.

To hear the message clearly, you don’t need to be in restaurant marketing.

Get deeper: How Allied Beverage transforms customer experience

Pandemics. Just like everything else, COVID-19 transformed the way diners interact with restaurants. The pandemic not only allowed diners to access menus and place orders remotely using QR codes, but also enabled them to read online menus, order online for delivery or pick-up, and eat at home.

33% of respondents preferred to order takeout, while 33% wanted to cook at home. More than 40% of respondents are open to new ordering options, such as text orders.

Online discovery. 60% of people use Yelp or Google Reviews to find a new restaurant, while 85% agree that it is important to be able search online reviews. Only a third of people discover restaurants via social media. However, word-of mouth from family and friends is more popular than that.

Restaurant discovery is also possible through third-party delivery platforms and reservation marketplaces. According to the report, “up-to-date presences in digital platforms such as Google, Yelp and social media are now table stakes.”

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