How restaurant leaders are feeling about a mobile-driven future — by the numbers
A recent Oracle survey reveals that less than 50% feel prepared to capitalize on future innovations.
From point-of-sale to your favourite restaurant chain’s loyalty programme, the adoption of mobile technologies has undeniably disrupted the food and beverage space - both locally and internationally.
But to what extent do restaurant leaders feel about a mobile future?
According to new research from Oracle Food & Beverage:
- 35% of 279 leaders from quick-service, fast casual and full-service restaurants expressed confidence in their ability to prepare for a mobile tomorrow whilst meeting present customer demand;
- 62% of respondents expressed “fear of being outpaced” by “more agile” competitors or by the fast pace of change in the industry, with 18% in strong agreement that they are not investing quickly enough to keep pace with the speed of mobile technology change;
- 59% agreed that their company faces “the threat of disruption” from more mobile-enabled competitors.
The responses come with a near-universal consensus that guest-facing mobile apps provide substantial benefits for restaurants, with:
- 84% agreeing that guest-facing apps reduce labor costs;
- 96% believing mobile technology saves time and money on back-end functions;
- 86% saying that their branded mobile apps improve speed of service;
- 93% agreeing that their guest-facing mobile app promotes loyalty and drives repeat business.
“In order to remain relevant to a rapidly evolving audience, restaurants must act quickly to modernize their mobile strategy and offerings. Today, the experience a customer has ordering online or from a kiosk can be just as essential as if they were ordering in the store,” Oracle Food and Beverage senior vice president and general manager Simon de Montfort Walker explained.
Asked about what restaurateurs believe will come from future mobile innovations, 82% say partnerships with third-party delivery services will help grow their business, 89% believing check averages will increase due to in-app recommendations and 95% agreeing that guest experience and customer loyalty will continue to improve.
(Click here to download the full report from Oracle.)
