Restaurants were obliged to adapt to new technology to suit the changing dynamics of the hospitality and restaurant business during the COVD-19 outbreak. Innovative solutions were developed to assist these businesses in continuing to operate via takeaway and delivery while protecting the health and safety of their customers. Digital menus were one of these options. In 2020, 11 million American households scanned a QR code to receive information or a menu. A technology that allowed customers to browse a menu by scanning a QR code with their smartphone. Many customers were enthusiastic about the new technology, indicating that digital menus would continue to be a feature of food trucks, cafes, and fast-casual restaurants.
While digital menus serve the same role as traditional menu boards, they also provide a fantastic chance to take dynamic control of your marketing and messaging. They can be used to advertise a variety of seasonal drinks, promotions, or regular menu items. Furthermore, they are interactive, allowing your guests to interact with a variety of elements that contribute to a pleasant dining experience when placing orders. There are several reasons to consider why you should have digital menus for your restaurant. Here are a few examples:
Germs are less likely to spread.
Contactless dining was important for limiting the transmission of the coronavirus during the outbreak. Although digital menus were first implemented to enable internet orders, many businesses have continued to use them because they are a safer option. Because paper and laminated menus are among the most frequent causes for the spread of germs, using digital menu software makes sense. Customers can use this technology to order and pay for food without having to interact with restaurant staff. When guests visit the restaurant premises, they can simply take a photo of the QR code with their smartphone and handle the ordering process right from their table. So, have your QR codes displayed in key positions throughout the restaurant to make it as easy as possible for guests to locate and scan them.
You have the ability to change your menu at any moment.
Digital menus allow you to update the content without having to reprint anything. You may change your menu at any time. Real-time pricing adjustments, menu item availability, and substitutions are all possible with the dynamic QR Code. As a result, your guests will always have access to the most up-to-date and accurate menu.
Spend less money on printing
The menus in many restaurants change on a regular basis. It takes out money to update a print version of a menu every time a new dish is introduced or runs out of something. Instead, with a QR code menu, updates may be updated digitally as needed, without incurring any additional costs. With digital menus, you can choose how your digital menu appears to customers. Add your logo and make sure the tone and theme of your restaurant's brand are consistent., so easily categorize all of your items into useful categories.
These digital menus have a significant influence on marketing strategies too. Customers are anxious to see what's new since using these screens seems fresh and modern.
While we don't necessarily propose that online digital menus should replace your traditional menu, if it does, you will definitely save a lot of money. There will be no more costs associated with creating new menus. There will be no additional costs associated with altering current ones. There will be no more costs associated with printing menus for each season or big modification. There will be no more paper waste.
Increases table turnover
One of the most difficult tasks for a restaurant is to serve as many customers as possible without making them feel rushed out the door. As a result, instead of waiting for a waiter to notice them and take their order, your guests can scan the QR code menu as soon as they are seated. You might even want to let them order before they sit down. This greatly accelerates the process.
Supports Long-Term Sustainability
Digital menus also help to save the environment by lowering a restaurant's carbon footprint. Every day, tens of thousands of pieces of paper are wasted on hard-copy menus. Ink cartridges take generations to disintegrate in landfills, contributing significantly to ground soil and water contamination. Every year, 8.2 million acres of forest are chopped down, with roughly 42% of the wood collected going into paper goods. Restaurants consume a huge amount of paper. Restaurants can help reduce waste and their carbon footprint by implementing digital menus.
Restaurants may improve customer satisfaction by using a digital menu. Today's diners seek restaurants that are devoted to environmental protection and are ready to pay a premium for green-restaurant practices. They're also eager to brag about their good time on social media, which may help a restaurant's image.
Receive unlimited orders
Restaurants benefit from going digital because it streamlines operations. Ordering and payment are made easier with digital menu software. Customers can place orders and pay for them from the convenience of their homes since ones you have your cloud based digital menu up and running, there's no limit for how much reach it could get in the screens of your customers online. You can promote your unique QR code on your social media platforms and your website where your customers can easily access your restaurant menu. Additionally, because no manpower is necessary to take in orders, orders are more precise, and tables turn over faster while dining in because customers can check out quickly when they're ready to leave.
Since digital Menus is a cloud-based solution, users can update the menu from anywhere and at any time; they won't need to download any apps, and modifications can be done in real-time for free.
Customer Experience is Improved by Digital Menus
Restaurant guests, employees, and restaurant owners can all benefit from digital menus. Customers benefit from these technologies since it ensures their safety by reducing physical contact with workers. Digital menus spare waiters from having to explain selections, upsell additions, and accept payments, employees will have time to focus on other parts of customer service. Customers are attracted to digital menus because they allow you to include mouth-watering visuals and captivating descriptions with each menu item. According to a research, 63% of individuals prefer digital menus with stunning visuals. As a result, digital menus improve the consumer experience by providing a pleasing visual experience. It improves your guests' dining experience. Finally, digital menus assist restaurant operators in reducing expenses while increasing earnings.
Technology makes people's life easier, and it is doing so in the fast-casual, food truck, and in the café industry. While the Covid outbreak prompted restaurants to embrace new tools such as digital menus, the higher customer satisfaction and lower costs that resulted from such changes indicate a crucial point. The Covid outbreak pressures did not drive unnecessary innovation. Rather, it has increased restaurants' adoption of technologies that benefit consumers, employees, and owners.
Applova Free Digital Menu is FREE FOREVER.
Applova digital menu allows you to create, customize and update your digital menu in minutes.
Customize your branding to reflect your restaurant tone and style, swap backgrounds, select color themes, and even upload your own logo.
So, what are you waiting for? Entice your customers with a well-engineered QR Menu to bolster sales turnover, increase customer engagement and go next-level digital!
Let customers access your digital menu from anywhere, place orders, and pay for their meals whether they are inside or outside of your business. Set up an online store for a low 5% service fee per customer order.
Check out a sample menu here and sign up now!