The restaurant industry has witnessed the remarkable advancements of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) across various sectors, revolutionizing the experience of the customers. Currently, the food and beverages industry are constantly adapting to the wondrous changes brought by AR and VR.
From enhancing the visual appeal of food to offering intricate details about dishes, Mixed Reality has opened up a multitude of possibilities in the food industry.
Food Becomes More than Just a Phrase with the Tempting offerings of AR and VR.
AR-Based Menu Cards: A Visual Feast!
An AR-based menu card presents 3D images of food, showcasing intricate details to captivate the customer's interest and tantalize their taste buds. Also, when it comes to non-native language speakers, such as tourists, it is the best way allowing them to visually explore the menu and make informed food choices.
Image Recognition and VR-Based Audio Assistance for Menus
A VR-based assistant system allows customers to independently place their orders without assistance either by magnifying the menu for easier reading or employing text recognition technology to convert it into audio.
AR-Based Games for Customer Engagement
In the past, many restaurants provided ball pits and play areas to keep children entertained. However, due to limited space, restaurants have shifted their focus solely to food, leaving many young customers bored.
Restaurants augmented with reality possess the ability to attract users of all age groups. By offering customers AR-based games while they wait for their food, restaurants can engage their patrons, especially children, ensuring a delightful dining experience for the entire family.
QR-Enabled Options
The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness about touching shared objects like cash and menu cards.
Incorporating QR codes on tables enables customers to wirelessly access the menu, place orders, and even make contactless payments by simply scanning the QR code. This system is particularly valuable in terms of health and hygiene, as it minimizes unnecessary contact with objects that come into contact with multiple individuals.
Let Customers Embrace Their Inner Chefs
Sell experiences, not just food. Customers relish opportunities to interact and engage with their food. A few years ago, a pizza chain allowed customers to design their own pizzas. Through an AR app, customers could virtually add toppings, select crust and cheese options, witnessing their personalized pizza come to life before their eyes. This initiative proved immensely successful, as customers felt heard and thoroughly enjoyed the customization offered to them. Similar cases are now being used by ice cream parlors where customers can add different flavor ice cream scoops by using AR applications.
The Bottom Line: The Cherry on Top
The sales of desserts skyrocketed by over 25% when customers viewed a 3D image of the desert on an AR-enabled tablet! AR and VR have the potential to transform the dining experience, strengthening it beyond a mere product or service. Catering the needs of the customers by implementing mixed reality can truly create an audio-visual feast!
