Sunday, September 30, 2007

Electronic Menus in restaurants-I


You enter a restaurant and take seat. On the table you have a touch screen probably double the size of a PDA(yes, smaller than the one displayed on the left). You open it and see various options available to you.
Food
Drinks
Music

Assuming you choose 'food' and you get options ranging from Chinese, Muglai to Thai and whatever you normally get to see in a restaurant. Just read the customer comments and ratings for each of the delicacies as rated by so many customers who would have tried them, loved them and hated them and you could probably choose from the best rated to weirdly commented.

How about the item you heard from your friend he said tastes good? You might want to check out how have others rated it and what do they say about it. Put it in the search option available to you on the top of your screen(powered by none other than Goggle).

You liked it! But then you like it low salt, low oil, spicy etc. You choose from the options of various degrees for each ingredient of the dish.

You choose your drinks, food and confirm your order. Pops up the screen letting you know the time you will have to wait for that chilled drink to quench your thirst or satiate your palate.

Now when you have had a nice time with your family so you don't call the waiter who could take a few minutes to come over and then do the whole money exchange thing(of course not necessary). Just look at the right side of the menu there is swipe machine integrated in your touch screen. You swipe your card enter the amount of your bill which was displayed as soon as you pressed that red "bill" tab - I know you hate it. Oh you don't use credit cards! Just press the "cash" tab next and that same waiter who served you appears in less than a minute with all the possibilities of the change that he may have to give you back. In the meanwhile you could have added your ratings and comments on what you liked and what you did not.

By the way you like music when you go out for a fine meal, don't you? You could have chosen your pick from the music library that was available to you right from your touch screen.

You just had your fine meal in restaurants that could be the future.

11 comments:

Movie Mazaa said...

That does sound chic!!
:)

Unknown said...

wouldnt the fun in having a simple meal vanish by such ideas??

ankurg said...

yes,

It definitely would not be a simple meal. But, it was not meant for simple daily/regular meals. Instead if i have ever have to look at this seriously I would target the junk food eating/pub going public for something like this.

Ajith Prasad Balakrishnan said...

Inspired by the Tom-Cruise starrer - 'minority report' ?

ankurg said...

Though not seen Minority Report.
Always missed for some or the other inevitable reason.

Neha Nair said...

WOW....its kind of a fantasy... but well like how people miss sending letters with it entry of 'e-mail'... an electro-rest would be time saving and you never know.. we may just turn into robots!

David Rufo said...

But, you could have nutritional information, see the contents being prepared, delete items from the PC when you run out, its a great idea for younger customers for sure

ankurg said...

David,

I think your idea of providing nutritional information is very good. Thanks.

Roman said...

This is not a fantasy!
Some company in Israel has already done that (including the music option :-) and it is working in dozens of pubs and restaurants in Israel and in other restaurants all over the world including restaurants in England and Moscow. Check this out: www.conceptic.co.il
And check this movie:
http://www.conceptic.co.il/Movies_

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Some restaurants in Portugal use a restaurant electronic menu.

It's a paper menu where you can place the order and send it wireless to the kitchen.

www.x64.com

Rui

winnie said...

That is wonderful. Save people waiting time. And don't need pay tips. Make the resteraunt more business.