Operations
Customers ready to dine at mobile-savvy restaurants
May 19, 2021
About 71% of U.S. diners are ready to eat out again and 42% feel comfortable being seated indoors, according to a study published Wednesday by Oracle Food and Beverage. Consumers also plan to eat out more frequently, with 78% planning to dine out monthly (up from 59% last year). Given 53% of respondents felt "devastated" or missed going to their favorite bar or restaurant during the pandemic, this comes as little surprise, but diners are cautious and want to limit contact where possible. The majority of consumers (73%) plan to reduce their use of cash, and 49% want to reserve their table, order and pay through a mobile device, said Simon de Montfort Walker, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Food and Beverage.
"After a year of take-out, consumers are looking forward to going out to eat, and restaurants are certainly eager for them to return," he said in a company press release. "The challenge will be balancing the steep increase in on-premises dining with continued demand for take-out service. Being able to adapt quickly to the changing needs in staffing, kitchen operations, and inventory for this hybrid environment requires technology that will cultivate this great guest experience."
When it comes to ordering out, 81% of people said their loyalty lies with restaurants over third-party delivery apps, and 68% preferred to order directly from a restaurant's own website or app if given a choice.
"Consumers see the benefit of third-party delivery apps as a resource to discover new restaurants, but understand the importance and value of buying direct," de Montfort Walker said. "Consumers are motivated by personal offers but are only willing to share so much. It's incumbent upon restaurateurs to ensure they have a data strategy the allows them to deliver highly personalized offers, and that's where a smart mobile strategy really helps."
The survey polled 511 U.S. residents and an additional 1,533 consumers in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Mexico to understand their expectations on eating out.
Consumers also said they understood that they must adjust how they engaged with restaurants, which were still operating on razor-thin margins. For example,
- 75% won't object to cancellation fees if their party doesn't show up for a reservation.
- 71% won't mind if restaurants limit reservation windows, restricting the allotted amount of time per table.
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Oracle
Oracle helps ambitious food and beverage providers transact in new ways, prioritize guests, and deliver great experiences. With Simphony Cloud, an open and extensible digital transaction platform, NetSuite for business management, and CrowdTwist for loyalty, thousands of operators worldwide automate operations and elevate personalized guest experiences with Oracle.
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