Digital dining: how technology is changing the restaurant industry

As diners return to restaurants, cafes and pubs, the dining experience has, forever, evolved.

Although your menu might not have changed, how people order and pay had to, initially, for the safety of your customers and staff. But, if you thought QR codes and ordering apps were just having a moment, you might need to consider their use long-term.

Understanding how your customers want to order and pay for their meals when dining-in is vital to getting them to the table. This is compared to a fast food setting, when the diner journey of placing an order and paying are often combined into one transaction.

If you’ve too much on your plate to ask them, don’t stress, we’ve done the research for you.

We surveyed more than a thousand adults, aged 16-75, online in the UK between November 10-12, 2021 with market researchers Ipsos. The trends the results reveal might surprise you.

Generational gap

There are some interesting trends to note when we delve into the differing age groups of the UK’s diners. It demonstrates the importance of striking the right balance between face-to-face and non-face-to-face customer service.

Think of how we used to eat out; sitting down at our favourite restaurant, looking at the menu, and ordering our meal through a member of staff coming to our table. After devouring a main and perhaps even a dessert, we’d ask for the bill. The staff would bring it to us, and we’d pay right there at the table. Traditionally, with cash. More recently, wireless card machines would be brought to the table.

“If you know your target audience, you can tailor the ordering and payment journey to best place yourself for their business and loyalty.” David Wheatcroft, Head of European Hospitality.

“Explain this concept to my teenaged children and they might find it absurd,” says David.

“However, there is still a large segment of the population that want the sense of security that comes with ordering via a real person, and often the smile that comes with that service. So it’s important not to forget about those customers, and to offer a variety of methods to order and pay for a drink or a meal.”

Of the 55-75 age group, more than four out of five (84%) still prefer to order through a member of staff, and almost nine out of ten (87%) prefer to pay the same way. Just one in ten (10%) of that same age group prefer to order using an app or automated system, and slightly more (11%) prefer to pay this way.

“Modern payment systems help. We provide solutions that address all of the demands of your diverse customer base. Whether this be through in-app ordering that tracks the progress of orders coming from the kitchen, to splitting bills, sending email receipts digitally and ensuring staff get their share of tips”, says David.

If you want to talk to us about how a modern payments system can benefit your business, talk to our team.

We commissioned this same survey in other countries too, which may interest you:

We asked these same questions to 1000 adults in Ireland and 1098 adults in Poland

The research was conducted on i:omnibus, Ipsos’ online Omnibus.

• Online interviews were carried out amongst adults aged 16-75 in the UK.
• Our total respondents base includes 1,108 adults who completed the survey November 10-12, 2021
• The sample obtained is representative of this population, having met quotas on: age, gender, region and workings status.
• The data has been weighted to the known population profile by age within gender, region, education, working status and social grade to be nationally representative and reflect the adult population of the UK.