The power of digital menu in Hospitality
Digitizing the menu of a restaurant, room service, on the beach or in the SPA center is an ongoing topic nowadays. The number of restaurateurs and hoteliers willing to invest in such projects and considering alternatives of digitizing menus is increasing.
Why? Digitizing the classic menu allows merchants to present their specialties in a distinctive way. Introducing the digital menu to guests is an indication of innovation and personal attitude to clients.
Besides image, digital menu has several advantages over the classic one. Here are some of them:
Better presentation. The digital menu allows an interactive, detailed and elegant presentation of the meals. It is unlimited, while the traditional menu is involving restraints: size, media and actuality. With digital menu the restaurateur is able to attach image, to add or to edit items anytime. Groups positioning or updating prices, item descriptions, translation and presentation do not require printing new pages.
Always up-to-date. Edit the digital menu anytime. Adding new items, editing existing ones and price updating is quick and easy. With the traditional menu such changes take time and generate additional costs. You cannot do design, prepress, printing or sticking on your own. These activities not only require using professional service but also cost money, organization and precious time.
Innovation. Technologies and digitization are already a part of our routine. Advertising and presentation are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Everyone has a digital display in their pocket today. The new active generation does shopping, makes reservation, stays informed, communicates, lives through their mobile phones. Digitizing menus is the step giving innovative restaurateurs and hoteliers the competitive advantage over their conservative rivals. Customers are already willing to browse menu on their mobile phone. Hence the ones to pioneer the technology in their structure are going to attract clients from the young, mobile consumer generation.
Reducing costs. It is not a lie that paper menus in the restaurant are never enough. It is true that costs of design and printing enough menus are high. Furthermore, traditional menus worn out and need to be replaced in a certain time period. They are being touched by the personnel and customers’ hands, dropped on the floor, poured with drinks, sauce, etc.
Multiplier effect. If nobody brings menus to table, there is no chance for them to get there, since menus are static objects. Waiters often take orders without even having brought a menu to the table. The digital menu, however, is always on the spot and up-to-date. It’s in every pocket and on each table. Practically, digital menu is everywhere and it’s straight there – in the customer’s hands.
You wonder if your customers have mobile phones to browse on your digital menu? Here are some facts: More cell phones sold in 2015 than toothbrushes worldwide. Yet in 2013 cellphones’ turnover exceeded the population by 25%. Only in Bulgaria, more than 10 million mobile phones are currently being used while number of active population is 4.9 million. Consumer groups using smartphones with touch screen divided by age as it follows: ages 18 to 29 – 85%; 30 to 49 years – 79%; ages 50 to 64 – 56%. Basically, every person at active age has a smartphone in their pocket, some people even have two.
Your customers are ready for your digital menu. And you?
Author: Yordan Popov
Hospitality professional and IT company CEO
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