Future of Dining Out: Contactless Dining

Published Apr 27, 2020

The breakout of the COVID 19 pandemic has had an ever-changing and a seemingly long-lasting effect on business and life dynamics all across the world.

The restaurant industry in India, with an annual turnover of over Rs 4 lakh crore and a direct employee base of over seven million, is also fighting a grim battle for its basic survival amidst the Covid-19 outbreak.

With social distancing being the norm and ‘flattening the curve’ seeming to be the most effective way to deal with the virus, the restaurant/hospitality industry, which completely revolves around socialising and human contact, is sure to have a long term, long-lasting impact. We, as businesses, should be ready to embrace change.

At SpeQue, we believe in the power of technology and the ways it improves the lives of people. In these difficult times, technology has a lot to offer. ‘Contactless dining’ might be a word coined recently but we have always believed in the idea of putting menus on people's phones and giving them the power of selecting what and when to order. It not only makes things convenient and hassle-free for consumers, but also makes operations smooth and efficient for restaurants. If implemented properly, it also reduces the cost of labour and decreases turn around time of tables.

Apart from this, there are a few more touchpoints that a restaurant can modify and facilitate with the introduction of technology. These can be simple actions like booking a table, pre-ordering meals, takeaway, digital ordering, digital payment, etc.

This is where the SpeQue app can be a real gamechanger. From booking their table beforehand to browsing the real-time, dynamic menu on their phones, customers can prepare their orders on the SpeQue User App. They can place the order once they reach the restaurant and have been allocated a table. This avoids interaction with paper menus, one of the few items that come in contact with multiple people.

The food will then be served to customers by servers who are equipped with proper masks and handwear to avoid direct contact with utensils. The chef and kitchen staff also need to be trained to wear masks and gloves at all times and maintain cleanliness and high level of hygiene standards.

Once done with the order, customers can pay their bill on SpeQue app, using their debit/credit card or restaurant wallet. Restaurants can also run cashback programs using a dedicated wallet system. This means that customers get a cashback amount in their wallet for your particular restaurant. They can avail this cashback on their next visit.

Customers can also share their feedback for the food and service with the restaurant. Restaurant owners/managers get real-time notifications for the feedback submitted. This gives them a chance to interact with customers then and there, and try to address their concern before it's too late.

Restaurants should also follow certain health guidelines laid out by health authorities such as WHO (World Health Organisation). Check out this link for more details. 

2020 shall always be remembered for the pandemic that changed history and our lives as we know it. Let’s also work towards making it be remembered as a time when all of us, through our indomitable spirit, stood up and made a difference.

Check out our user app on Android Play Store at this link. Write to us on info@speque.com to know more about how we can help you enable 'contactless dining' at your outlets.