The Role of Augmented Reality in a Restaurant’s Prosperity

Start-up capital arranged!

Location Done!

Offerings Done!

Staff Done!

Food Safety Done!

Restaurant Marketing..???????

Well, this is the scenario of majority of the restaurant owners today. They don’t realize that only managing or focusing on the operational functions is not enough to stand out from the crowd. For this reason, they always find themselves facing severe challenges in turning their restaurants into a successful business.

Today, excitement of being in restaurant business lies heavily in the constant state of activity. Those who are early adopters of new marketing technologies seem to gain several distinct benefits.

While there may not be an immediate return on investments, those who take initiatives to test, learn and experiment new technologies usually end up with a long-term advantage.

Among all the modern trends in restaurant marketing, the one which is rapidly growing in popularity is Augmented Reality.

With over 30% of mobile users using this technology, the total revenue expected to be generated from Augmented Reality in 2015-16 is $600 million.

Even with such impressive facts and numbers, have you ever made efforts to know what Augmented Reality is and how it can benefit your restaurant?

So, Why not explore this world and unlock the doors to Success!!!

Augmented Reality is the integration of digital information with the live video and user environment. By recognizing a visual picture, this technology blends new information and display the virtual result in real time, thereby producing extraordinary experiences.

Using a mobile application, a mobile phone’s camera identifies a marker (which is often a black and white barcode image). By analyzing the marker, the software creates a virtual image on the phone’s screen. However, due to the number of calculations, only smartphones are capable of supporting augmented reality with success.

How does it bring fruitful results for the business?

Having an Augmented Reality App for the restaurant helps you engage more customers, add more value and bring more revenue by transforming conventional traditional paper based menu system.

Diners coming to the restaurants can have an interactive dining experience with the help of AR app. They could be able to select from different available seats and customize their tables.

Besides, a multi-media menu allows them to see ingredients and nutritional information for any menu item in the form of 3D images.

This, in turn, helps you develop and implement unique marketing executions and elevate your business to reach new possibilities.

Now, let’s have a quick look at those who have already incorporated this technology into their restaurant business

Boston’s All-Stars Mobile App

In order to incorporate families into its marketing strategy, Boston’s Restaurant Bar launched a 3D augmented reality game for the kids. The app keeps the kids entertained whilst allow the parents to enjoy a nice meal every time they visit the restaurant.

Additionally, training activities are also available on the app to continue the relationship brand when the customers are not dining.

Discover Atlantis

Vida e caffee, a chain of high-end espresso and coffee franchises, has partnered with Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai and Dubai Tourism with an aim to lure customers from their customers and form mutually beneficial partnerships.

By using an interactive coffee cup sleeve augmented by Digital Narrative, a Layar Certified Partner, they provide customers a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to Dubai.

Customers buying a cup of coffee with the sleeve can scan it after downloading the free augmented reality app. After scanning, they are exposed to a video about Atlantis and Dubai and given a chance to share the promotion on their social media profiles.

Starbucks Cup Magic app

In order to promote its holiday beverage lineup and Holiday Starbucks Petites dessert line at its coffeehouses in the United States and Canada, Starbucks has developed a Starbucks Cup Magic app. By scanning an AR code on one of Starbucks’ red cups, coffee packages or other signage, customers can come across through several animated holiday scenes. The characters included in the app are carolers singing, an ice skater, and a boy and his dog sled riding.

Conclusion

No doubt, aroma, taste, and cuisine are the main “ingredients” of a restaurant, but at the same time, these aspects cannot alone guarantee the success of a restaurant business. However with the implementation of ingenious techniques like augmented reality, one could predict to succeed by increasing the customer base of the business.