News Feature | November 9, 2015

Restaurant And Hospitality News – November 9, 2015

Christine Kern

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Hotel

In news this week, five tech innovations that are transforming restaurants, results of a new survey that reveals what consumers value most in QSRs, and a new Hotel Technology Summit aims to help hoteliers integrate cutting-edge technology to product the ultimate guest experience.

5 Tech Innovations That Are Transforming Restaurants

 A recent blog post from the Reporter’s Notebook examines five key technology innovations that are changing the face of the hospitality and restaurant business.  At the National Restaurant Association Restaurant Innovation Summit in San Diego, attendees were introduced to the latest innovations, including “Chef Watson,” a IMB Watson application being used for recipe development; self-service beer tap technology that can check IDs and allows customers to pay by the ounce served; smart hotel vending machines that offer draft beer; and many others.  Amy Webb, founder and CEO of Webbmedia Group, a digital strategy consulting firm, identified five digital trends that will help restaurateurs transform the way they think about technology.  The trends include: digital time zones; ambient attendants; recognition capabilities’ cognitive computing; and participatory dining.   Digital time zones are the “me time,” “our time,” and “real time” zones driving how consumers use their digital tools. Webb advises, “start thinking about digital time zones, focusing on your customers’ needs and behaviors, rather than just their devices and your organization’s workflow.” Today’s virtual technology increasingly includes responsive functions in new tools that provide actionable information even before a user can ask for it. IBM is do a lot of work with cognitive computing, developing “personality insights” based on text.  Recognition tools – including facial, handwriting, thermal fingerprinting, and others – have great potential for restaurateurs. Webb explained, “It’s like a spell check, but for personality. It could review your response and tell you how to tweak it to make sure it’s positively received.” Webb explained that consumers – particularly Millennials – are being drawn into live-streaming and other collective Internet events that create a sense of intimacy or special access, and says that tapping into this trend could help restaurants drive business.

Survey Finds Food Quality and Friendly Service Make The Difference For Consumers

A recent survey conducted by King Retail Solutions (KRS) has found that consumers value the quality of the food, friendly, efficient service and a warm and welcoming environment when choosing their favorite quick-service restaurants.  KRS surveyed 1,200 consumers using Yelp! Reviews for more than 140 top-rated “Fast Food” restaurants in 24 cities across the US.  The Shopper Insights: Close Look at Fast Food Restaurants,”  found that freshness was cited as a positive quality by women more than men.  Meanwhile, men were more concerned with good taste and good, fast service.  The top five QSRs nationwide were Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Five Guys, Firehouse Subs, and In-N-Out burgers.  Chick-Fil-A was the top ranked QSR in 5 out of the 6 regions (Midwest, Northeast, Rocky, Southeast, and Southwest), while Chipotle took the number one regional spot in the Pacific.  The study also found that consumers are impressed by local and chain restaurants for different reasons, with good food ranking #1 for local spots and good service for chains.  To create a QSR that diners can’t live without, the study suggests:

  • Make food quality a top priority;
  • Hire friendly staff and train them well;
  • Keep prices reasonable;
  • Build a menu around fresh ingredients and ample portions;
  • Create a welcoming environment;
  • Location! Location! Location!
  • Offer extended hours.

Hotel Technology Summit Aims To Help Hoteliers Provide The Ultimate Guest Experience

The Hotel Technology Summit, scheduled for November 22-23, at Sofitel the Palm Resort and Spa in Dubai, will gather 150 global hoteliers, decision-makers and major stakeholders within the hospitality industry, including CEOs, Heads of IT, Heads of Technology, Heads of Sales and Marketing, Revenue Directors, Procurement Directors, Managing Directors and General Managers. The goal of the summit is to provide hoteliers with proper guidance to implement cutting-edge technology in order to create the ultimate guest experience.  Organized in partnership with Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP), organizers of HITEC – the world's largest hotel technology show, the summit will feature contributions from distinguished industry leaders within hospitality, tourism and leisure addressing three central topics: leveraging technology, enhancing guest experience, and increasing productivity. An interactive panel discussion will examine the “Rise of the smart hotels: Catering to the GenX and upgrading to the needs of the GenY millennial travelers.”  For more information, please contact Madhukar Dudda atmadhukard@naseba.com.