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5 Uses of Wearable Restaurants Technology in Restaurants

5 Uses of Wearable Restaurants Technology in Restaurants
wearable restaurant technology smart watch

I am extremely bullish on the use of wearable technology in the restaurant industry. Devices like the Apple Watch can provide subtle notifications, reminders, and guest details that are much less intrusive than a smartphone.

In many restaurants, servers are directly told not to use their smartphones. This is for good reason. Personal smartphone use, such as messaging and Snapchatting, can quickly detract from a server’s focus on their tables. Once you open the door to staff smartphone use on the restaurant floor, you are supporting a habit that sees the average person check their phone 85 times per day.

Taking advantage of wearable restaurant technology

The real question is, “How do you leverage the technological benefits of a smartphone without threatening the overall experience?”

The answer is wearable technology.

Wearable technology like a smart watch benefits from a simplicity in communication that only requires a glance. Everything from a back-of-house alert that a guest’s order is ready to a front-of-house notification that a VIP has just walked through the front door. Wearables can serve as a critical link in sharing just-in-time information.

A smart watch provided to staff also eliminates the threat of personal messages interfering with business communication.

Wearable tech in its infancy

While the days of wearable technology permeating the restaurant industry are still young, savvy operators are beginning to test the waters. Danny Meyer, of Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack, will be utilizing Apple Watchesin his soon-to-reopen flagship, Union Square Café.

In a partnership with reservation and restaurant management platform Resy (a new on the scene OpenTable rival), all restaurant managers and sommeliers at Union Square Café will wear an Apple Watch. The initial app will alert managers to VIP guests, real-time inventory information, and will communicate with sommeliers when a table has requested a bottle of wine.

Read:  4 Benefits of Mobile Payments for Restaurants

Even though the initial launch is not staff-wide, it’s only a matter of time until all front-of-house staff are wearing Apple watches. Servers using wearable technology is where where the tech rises above smartphones in the restaurant environment.

Arguably, managers can be trusted to use their smartphones respectfully on the restaurant floor to access important information. For servers, hosts, and other restaurant staff, wearable technology can be an invaluable customer service tool.

Here are five uses for wearable technology in the restaurant industry:

1. Communicate specialized guest information to front-of-house staff

This could include everything from VIP, loyalty status, and visit frequency to known allergies.

2. Track real-time metrics from the floor

Rather than having to spend time in the back office, managers can receive real-time inventory information right on the restaurant floor in a “glanceable” format. This gives them more time with guests while continuing their managerial duties.

3. Communicate important staff information

Rather than relying on printed signs in the kitchen or staff room, Apple Watches can serve as a valuable internal communications tool. Wearable technology can ensure that all staff receive important messages in a timely manner. No more chasing staff down or playing operator.

4. Facilitate guest requests

With connected systems that enable guests to request another drink or assistance from a tabletop top tablet or smart device, a server with an Apple Watch will be alerted in real-time. This paves the way for providing the highest level of guest service.

5. Alert servers of guests’ mobile payments

As reported,  43% of restaurants planning to implement mobile payments in the next two years. That means an increasing number of guests will choose to pay with their smartphones. To keep up, servers will need to be seamlessly alerted when guest checks are paid.

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Next-Generation Sports Bars. High Tech & High Touch

Next-Generation Sports Bars.  High Tech & High Touch

Like everything else in life, sports bars are continually changing and evolving. And just like on the playing field, it’s all about amping up the action. Rapidly shifting consumer tastes and desires are combining with ever-savvier owners, resulting in next-wave concepts that are once again reinventing the notion of what exactly comprises a sports bar.

Long gone are the days when a venue could air The Big Game on a 25-inch television behind the bar and call itself a sports bar. To compete in today’s crowded marketplace, it’s critical to discover new ways to create excitement so your customers think of you first when it’s time to choose a venue at which to cheer their favorite team.

Today’s establishments have totally redefined this genre, in many cases blending elements of other successful dining and nightclub concepts. And developers of these next-generation sports bars find customers are responding not only with loyalty but also with their wallets.

So what are patrons are looking for today? As with guests of most segments of the industry, the mantra these days for sport-minded patrons is more options and more value. And those establishments mastering both categories are reaching the finish line quickest.

“You used to get by with one TV, but now it’s bigger and better. You can’t have too many TVs with many choices and options,” says David Commer, president of Commer Beverage Consulting. “It’s critical that anyone can watch anything they want, even if that means watching a tennis match during the Super Bowl.”

Additionally, people must feel as if they’re getting their money’s worth. “You need to have added value. You have to ask why someone is going to seek out your venue rather than another,” explains Corey Nyman, director of operations with The Nyman Group, a consulting and restaurant management company. 

Commer agrees. “One of the mistakes operators do is confuse value with cheap — cheap is not always cheap. Value in this instance needs to be inexpensive, but quality is important,” he says, noting that offering smaller plates with high-quality food seems to be a good game day strategy.

Retro food also is in the spotlight today, crossed with higher quality menu selections that appeal to both men and women. Message: It’s important to serve something other than just fried foods; salads and fish seem to be big hits these days — an anomaly in what used to be a fried-food-centric category.

As for drinks, experts agree some people now opt for non-traditional beers when out to watch a sporting event at their favorite watering hole. They can get the big-name brands at home, they reason, so when imbibing on-premise they want something regional and handcrafted.

Oh yeah, and flawless and informed service is a must. “People don’t want to wait 20 minutes for a drink. And your servers should know something about the sports that are being broadcast, too,” Nyman says.

Here are some establishments that have found success in an increasingly crowded field, playing to both men and women and offering something outside the tired old sports bar concept.

Celebrity VenturesBy taking a single concept and rolling it out in different cities under different names, Celebrity Ventures is tapping into the local scene with success. The company operates two outlets — deals are in place for more — named after local sports heroes rather than a generic catch-all name. Across from The Ohio State University, for example, there’s Eddie George’s Grille 27, and Pittsburgh is home to Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36.  According to Bob McCarthy, partner and vice president of concept development with Celebrity Ventures, it’s critical to maximize your potential audience. And while many sports bars consider women as an afterthought, McCarthy sees appealing to the female demographic as paramount, which is why the company blended a restaurant concept with sports bar appeal.

“People looking for a sports bar experience find that, but those looking for a restaurant that has sports viewing can find it, too. Men want a place to bring wives and girlfriends, so we look for ways to attract broad-based clientele,” McCarthy says. “We knew we had to be gender neutral.”

In addition to traditional sports bar fare, the Grille menus also boast edamame, crispy tuna rolls and assorted fresh fish. That, combined with a stylish atmosphere and more than 60 flat-panel televisions, is where Celebrity Ventures’ formula really begins to play out. To grab the lunchtime crowd, channels are switched to Bloomberg News or CNBC; during commercials in sporting events, a DJ plays and then takes over on weekend nights when the games are done. The venues also utilize NanaWalls, which split larger spaces into smaller spaces quickly and easily so some guests can watch tennis while others take in a football game — all without disturbing each other. 

Lagasse’s StadiumBam! Chef Emeril Lagasse is taking the sports bar concept up a notch with his newest Las Vegas outpost, Lagasse’s Stadium at the Palazzo Las Vegas. Setting the stage for an entirely new way to watch sports in a social environment, this place is more like a living room than many people’s, well, living rooms. With 109 televisions, it’s all about wall-to-wall action. And of course there is the chef’s world-renowned cuisine to enjoy while quaffing some tasty beverages and taking in the big game.

“The place is an extension of home because it is such a comfortable setting,” says general manager Marc Zakin. “And when it comes to food, we have everything from nachos and wings all the way to filets and salmon tartar.”

The combination of high tech and high taste is helping expand the venue’s target audience. Interestingly, Zakin expected patrons to be about 75 percent men, but just a few weeks after the fall opening, he finds it’s actually more of an even split. Women are particularly interested in specialty drinks and cocktails, which were co-created by distributor Southern Wines and Spirits.

The 24,000-square-foot space also has themed rooms, each focusing on a particular sport. And since it’s Las Vegas, there is a sports book available right there to make watching games a little more interesting.

Xtreme Sports Bar + LoungeIn Reno, Nev., the Grand Sierra Resort has opened the Xtreme Sports Bar + Lounge. Rather than just focus on the big sports such as football and baseball, this place is an homage to extreme sports like snowboarding, skateboarding and motocross. Turns out Reno is a major encampment for extreme sports athletes and their fans, so going this route was natural.

“There’s a whole generation of people today where sports are something totally different,” explains President and CEO Richard Silverman. “[The bar] is absolutely at least 50 percent focused on the extreme athletes of the world.”

Walls are adorned with 40-foot murals of Olympic athletes, BMX champs and local favorites; food menus appear on snowboards, beer menus on skateboards. Plus, the Xtreme Girls serve up the food offerings, all of which are extreme versions of bar food found elsewhere in the country. As for drinks, expect kegs rather than traditional bottle service.

The bar also has authentic memorabilia and features 25 high-definition 42-inch plasmas and one LCD high-definition projection with a 12-by-8-foot screen. More than 30,000 watts of power drive a 50-plus speaker sound system, which comes in handy when the place turns into a nightclub several nights a week. And even that’s gone extreme, as the house DJ plays alongside the house band Audioboxx in a major musical mash-up. It’s all helped create a venue that appeals to men and women equally, according to Silverman.

Tilted KiltRuling the Midwest and Southwest with a plaid skirt is the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, and the Tempe, Ariz.-based franchising company is looking to dominate the rest of the country; 26 locations are now open and seven are in the works.

Casual and comfortable, the Tilted Kilt is the perfect antidote for those looking for something other than a serious and upscale sports bar. Here, the focus is on delivering good food in a fun, sports-oriented atmosphere. Its all-female wait staff is clad in the official “uniform:” a miniskirt-style kilt, starched button-down shirt tied to bare the midriff, sporran, stockings and flashings. The chain’s tagline is “The Best-looking Sports Pub You’ve Ever Seen,” and the 2010 calendar featuring the staff was released this fall amid much fanfare in the restaurants. Décor-wise, the pubs play on a traditional Celtic theme but inject the atmosphere with a comical twist. There are humorous limericks on the walls, and a variety of cheeky displays encourage customers to let their guard down and have some fun.

Of course there are plenty of HDTV screens to watch the game, along with pool tables and dart boards. The food menu is also as casual as the atmosphere, delivering the requisite wings alongside “Sloppy Janes,” “Drunken Clams” and updated versions of Irish classics such as Shepherd’s Pie and bangers and mash. Steaks, chicken and stews round out the menu, which also features seasonal specialties. NCB

Games People Play

Capturing business at sports bars isn’t all about the newest technology. In fact some folks like to completely unplug when visiting a sports bar.

At New York City’s Southern Hospitality, for example, it’s all about creating a laid-back atmosphere, says director of operations Chris Russell. “This place is about being who you are, and we are not about following tech trends. We have an old school heart,” he says. Instead of over the top accoutrements, management focuses on basic college drinking games like beer pong and quarters. Beer pong has proved to be a great sales tool, as pitchers for a game cost just $10.

“We want to turn trial customers into long-term customers,” Russell says. “And long-term relationships are built on old school games.”

On the plugged-in side, one old school game that has proven popular for two decades at bars is Golden Tee. According to Gary Colabuono, marketing director with Incredible Technologies, this classic game is still a lynchpin strategy for many bars. Some operators are also leveraging the popularity of sports-oriented gaming systems such as those available from NTN Buzztime, TouchTunes and others. Additionally, recreational leagues for games like darts, pool and even skeeball help establishments capture repeat customers.

“This is a nice melding of all things going into why bar games are popular. It comes down to social competitiveness. You play with buddies, have a beer and while one plays the others scope out the place for ladies,” Colabuono quips.

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Why you NEED SportsBar-TV!

Why you NEED SportsBar-TV!

The Sports business has grown in leaps & bounds over the past few years.  Now more the ever it is important that on "Game Day" especially bars & restaurants need to be able to offer their patrons the ability to see their favorite teams.

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