Rupert Gutteridge, chief revenue officer at digital ordering platform Ordamo, predicts that Cornavirus pandemic will be the catalyst for restaurants adopting customer-facing digital technology over fears of health and safety in restaurants.
Speaking about the adoption of technology such as digital menus and apps that allow customers to make menu choices using their smartphones and also pay the bill, Gutteridge says that, until now, restaurants haven’t seen the benefits or customers the need. However, all this will change, he believes.
“There hasn’t been the absolute necessity to move away from that legacy way of operating, but Covid 19 has been the catalyst. There is your necessity front and centre, whether it’s legislation or consumer confidence that you’re trying to gain by having this technology.
“That’s probably why we’re seeing the radical change that we are.”
Gutteridge also says that the adoption of such technology by restaurants and their customers will help to normalise it, opening the door to further developments in terms of tech. This he says, could be anything from the use of robots to deliver food to customers to systems that enable bespoke menus and dynamic pricing, where prices change in relation to external factors such as time, weather and environment.
“I can absolutely see a time when dishes will be dynamically priced and restaurants taking advantage of being more profitable at certain times than others.
"Technology does enable that kind of thing to be discussed and make it available to those who want it.”