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Restaurant association: Self-service is No. 2 trend

In its 2007 Forecast, the National Restaurant Association named self-service technology its No. 2 trend to watch for full-service restaurants.

December 21, 2006

In its 2007 Forecast, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) named self-service technology its No. 2 trend to watch for full-service restaurants.

According to the report, many full-service patrons appear ready to embrace added self-service options. It said 46 percent of Americans are likely to use customer-activated ordering and payment terminals.

But restaurant operators may not be ready to deliver. The NRA said just 3 percent of casual-dining operators and 4 percent of fine-dining owners currently offer these self-service payment options.

In addition, the association found the young are more likely to use self-service. The report said 71 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 64 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds prefer self-service terminals.

Hudson Riehle, senior vice president for the NRA, said restaurant sales will surpass $500 billion in 2007. In a new interview on PodCast Grill, Riehle talks about how self-service technology will impact the industry.