Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPad in the restaurant

My opinion on this one is just because you can put your ordering process including the menu on an iPad doesn't mean you should.

I myself like a good and well-planned menu. Photo's are nice but not necessary to me. Think of some of the menus the chains have, like Applebee's, Chili's, The Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse etc etc. They all have decent menus that are EASY to browse trhough and return to any page in the menu. WIth an iPad you lose some of that. With a printed menu you can go from the 2nd page to the 6th page in a split second. With an iPad you probably wil lhave to swipe your finger 4 times. Then to go back to the 1st page another 5 times. With paper menu I just have to flip the thing.

Progress isn't always best for all aspects of life. Leave the iPads in the hands of the order takers and out of the hands of the customers.

Mike
 
DuckSoup said:
I myself like a good and well-planned menu. Photo's are nice but not necessary to me. Think of some of the menus the chains have, like Applebee's, Chili's, The Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse etc etc. They all have decent menus that are EASY to browse trhough and return to any page in the menu. WIth an iPad you lose some of that. With a printed menu you can go from the 2nd page to the 6th page in a split second. With an iPad you probably wil lhave to swipe your finger 4 times. Then to go back to the 1st page another 5 times. With paper menu I just have to flip the thing.

Mike
Click to expand...

You make the assumption that a menu optimised for the iPad would work in the same way as a paper-based menu, page after page. The electronic format opens up a huge array of possibilities. Without having given it too much thought I can see a system of food areas that customers can tap into and out of 'in a split second' each of which is available from a home page.

It's a different medium - don't limit yourself to what you already know.
 
I think being able to see a nice picture of the finished product would be a plus, but that is really only going to be for first time customers. I don't know if it will be a selling point or reason to come back.
 
jacktorrance said:
[...]The electronic format opens up a huge array of possibilities. [...]

It's a different medium - don't limit yourself to what you already know.
Click to expand...

I agree with the comment about not limiting to what you already know.

One should also be careful not to assume that a new/different medium is necessarily better. Out of the huge array of possibilities, only some are likely to be useful and add value.

At the end of the day, new technology must present a net value to the business in comparison to the incumbent process/technology. In this instance, would the inclusion of ipads into the ordering process provide cost savings or sustainable increase in new & repeat traffic sufficient to offset the costs of making the the change (as well as cost of replacing dropped devices). That's the real question.
 
Our team was also planning to develop an iPad-based menu that links the whole restaurant.
This included the menu, ordering, kitchen, and even billing.

We had some inspirations from here and here.


Our developer's point of view:

We were planning to have the patrons place their own orders, and the iPad will then switch to progress mode where the screen will display the estimated time of preparation (which we later realized was a bad idea if the restaurant is full). Once the food is out, it will only be an "enjoy your meal" screen, until they are ready to place more order or ask for the bill (which will be displayed with a "ready to pay" button that will summon the waiter).

As we planned the flow and the interface, we came into two somewhat difficult tasks: Order customization, and bill splitting.
We've been stuck there for a while now.


Our opinion from patron's point of view:

Similar to what others have mentioned, ordering from iPad may seem cool and fun for the first few times, but it wears off over time. Also, how do you expect our parents to know to swipe the screen to see next menu, or to zoom and pan with two fingers? What if I ordered the wrong thing but it's already in the system? What if I'm careless and dropped your iPad on the floor?

We would like to keep things simple. The main reason we go to your restaurant is to enjoy the food, not to play with your iPad.


In the end, we opted to just use the iPad (or any other tablet, actually, for that matter) to show the menu to the patrons. The plus side is that we can make the menu on any HTML-based pages, and can also make that available to customers either through our wifi or online on the restaurant website. Taking orders would still be done by waiters. When everyone has ordered, take the iPads away and move on. Have paper menu ready in case the patrons prefer that.



-stndn.
 
Has anyone eaten here yet?

http://www.inamo-restaurant.com/

Hi-Tech well blended in with good food. But the food is much better than the gimmicks would make you think. So in this place actually I would much prefer a waiter taking the order....

It's hard to get the balance right.
 
I think it's a great idea. Why not try out one unit and see how your customers like it?

Surely said:
I'd be worried about people walking out with your iPads. I think it would be too difficult to keep an eye on all of the menus all the time.
Click to expand...

Don't be silly. He could just add it on their check. :0
 
deeddawg said:
I agree with the comment about not limiting to what you already know.

One should also be careful not to assume that a new/different medium is necessarily better. Out of the huge array of possibilities, only some are likely to be useful and add value.
Click to expand...

Agreed. An intelligent designer and client team will identify those that are likely to be useful and add value. The recent 'Post - Gravity' app springs to mind.
 
rdowns said:
I think it's a great idea. Why not try out one unit and see how your customers like it?



Don't be silly. He could just add it on their check. :0
Click to expand...

lol

Or he can hire one of those security guards from the Apple Store.:D


I think the system he's got going is good as it is. Having iPads for the servers is a good idea.
 
Make an app that knows when someone with an iOS device running the app is on your WiFi. Something like the Apple store app does in the US.

Of course put the menu on it, specials and pre-order...
 
I'd personally stay away from this idea just out of concern of theft or incidental damage. If your wifi goes down a year after implementation, would your servers be prepared with a paper system?

I just don't see this as a customer draw or something that improved efficiency compared to cost.
 
Build one into the top of the table (I'm thinking a fixture like the "check out our desert" triangles on tables now. Allow them to enter their orders and table number from there. The fixture should protect the device in the best way possible, and plug into a power source.
 
I love good restaurants, and I love my iPad, but honestly, I'd be extremely put off by being handed an iPad to order.

Skip the gimmicks and focus on the basics of excellent food and service.
 
zhenya said:
I love good restaurants, and I love my iPad, but honestly, I'd be extremely put off by being handed an iPad to order.

Skip the gimmicks and focus on the basics of excellent food and service.
Click to expand...

It doesn't have to be a gimmick, it can be useful for many information that it's not that convenient to have in a regular menu.
 
Some possible ideas:

  • Don't use it at the table. Simply put an iPad behind a glass case at the entrance, with a slideshow of menu items for people waiting for a seat to view.

  • Or only use it at the table when someone asks for what a meal looks like. Perhaps offer it at the beginning such as waiters do with the specials. "Would you care to see our items or ingredients on our iPad?"

  • If used at the table, have a really nice leather shell made for it, so it exudes class and tech at the same time. Perhaps red with gold trim, or black with silver... with your bistro name embossed on the back. The case would also cover the Home key so people couldn't leave your app.
 
I too don't like the idea. Not only is the customer handling an ipad that numerous other customers have handled (a menu you basically just flip thru, you don't slide your fingers etc) but it just seems like technology for the sake of being cool/different. I would honestly think it was a joke if I was handed an iPad to select my meals on. I don't think it's a good idea and as a customer who eats out alot wouldn't see any value in this at all.
 
anjinha said:
It doesn't have to be a gimmick, it can be useful for many information that it's not that convenient to have in a regular menu.
Click to expand...

Then post that info on your website if you are all about transparency. I can't think of any truly great restaurants that need pictures on their menus. The ingredients speak for themselves. The first thing I'd think if I was handed an iPad for a menu is, 'why does this place need this gimmick, and what are they sacrificing to pay for these things?'
 
How would you keep the ipads from being physically damaged by the handling, and the sheer amount of liquids that are present in a restaurant environment? One spill and the ipad could be irrevocably damaged!
 
My 5 year old kid, since she can read now, is all grown up according to her, and she will look at the menu and place her order all by herself. But, if my 5 year old drops your iPad Menu, I won't be resposible :D and no you can't give her a paper menu, that would be discriminating :p
 
Please don't use an iPad as a menu.

All of the best restaurants (not fancy, just actual delicious fresh food) that I go to print up menus based on what they have that's fresh and available at the time. It doesn't have to be a fancy expensive menu. Use 8.5x11.5 paper if you need to. Just have delicious, fresh food, and people will come.

The best damn lunch place in our city just writes their daily menu up on a big chalk board. As they run out of an item, they cross it off.

For the money you'd spend on iPads as menus, you could buy enough paper to print menus for the rest of your life :)
 
Look up iOS apps for ordering pizzas (Papa John's, etc.). I like being able to iterate thru the order without having to rattle it off to a live person.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back