Article

Options at the dining table increase

Restaurants take aim at faster, better service through self-service.

April 23, 2007

Customer self-service at sit-down dining establishments may seem like a natural fit, but the adoption of the technology has been sporadic and slow.

 

Several companies are introducing options that aim to make dinner out more enjoyable, for customers and wait staff.

 

Fast, accurate ordering, coupled with the security of knowing a credit card is being charged the correct amount, are areas MenuLogic and Legal Sea Foods are addressing. And Taylannas Inc. is introducing a talking menu to make eating out easier for the visually impaired.

 

The most arguably extensive use of self-service-table options is offered by MenuLogic's iMenu. Developed in conjunction with Apunix, which wrote the software, and mCosm, the hardware provider, iMenu is being piloted at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, New York City. The arrangement does not include Marriott Corp.

 

"We're testing this out and beginning to understand a lot of things," said Louis Kanganis, chief executive of New York City-based MenuLogic. "We really want to make sure the base core ordering process works well from the customer's perspective."

 

Featuring a 10.4-inch touchscreen, iMenu is a tabletop unit that allows patrons to browse the entire menu, order food and drinks, and pass their orders to the wait staff. IMenu also lets patrons select menu items and browse through the ingredients. And the customer is able to see a running total of his menu items as they are placed into a virtual shopping cart.

 

The iMenu is currently not enabled to accept payment at the table, although the hardware is installed. Kangamis said he expects MenuLogic to accept payment at the table by the end of 2007.

 

The iMenu also generates revenue beyond the table, since it is being used as a digital-signage board with paid advertising. Kanganis said companies such as Bacardi, Fiji Water, Pepsi and Level Vodka, among others, are advertising on iMenu.

 

story continues below... advertisement     This story and all of our great free content is supported by:     King Products KING The Best Just Got Better! King launches new products and services. Powerful, secure and Incredibly robust solutions.

 

"People aren't fazed by the fact that there's a screen at the table," Kanganis said. "Without coaching or guidance, they have no problem using it. It's very gratifying and really fascinating to watch."

 

Secure transactions at the table

 

Covering the pay-at-the-table option is the Cambridge, Mass.-based Legal Sea Foods restaurant chain. Using a SIVA Corp. platform, Legal debuted a homegrown handheld credit-card reader in May 2006 as part of a new point-of-sale platform it is installing in all 35 of its restaurants. The unit is now being used in five.

 

The pay-at-the-table unit features a magnetic-stripe reader and small touchscreen. The screen displays the bill, a tip guide and prompts about how to proceed. The transaction is conducted in real time and prints a detailed receipt. The entire transaction now takes about 90 seconds, rather than the 2 to 15 minutes it may take a server.

 

The unit also can accept and fill Legal Sea Foods gift cards.

 

An added feature, although not the aim of the deployment, said Legal's vice president of information technology, Ken Chaisson, is that the credit card never leaves the sight of the customer, reducing the probability of theft or fraud.And the use of pay-at-the-table options saves the operator money. Normally, since credit card transaction include two fees: one for authorization, and one for adding the tip and completing the transaction. 

 

"We've had some minimal feedback from some guests who don't want to use this service," Chaisson said. "But the overwhelming feedback says guests are liking it."

 

Helping the visually impaired

 

Taylannas Inc. is taking the idea of customer self-service a step further with its Menus That Talk device, which assists sight-impaired customers.

 

A pre-recorded voice recites the menu to customers via a speaker or small handset. Ingredients and price may be included if the restaurant enables those functions.

 

Slightly larger than a DVD jewel case, the unit is portable and may be programmed to speak in English and another language. Large, illuminated buttons and Braille imprints also make it easier for the visually impaired to use the device.

 

The unit was designed in conjunction with the Pittsburgh, Kan.-based Controlvision.

 

"We were looking at replacing the server having to stand there and read the menu to someone who is unable to," said Susan Perry, chief executive of the Miami-based Taylannas.