Digital dining experience

The demands being placed on restaurants stem from broader changes in consumer behaviour. Many of them manage their lifestyles through mobile devices, and they want to engage with restaurants in this way too.

And whether that’s through apps connecting consumers to food delivery from a range of takeaways, or services delivering food on behalf of restaurants, convenience is becoming a key ingredient for customers and one that is driving success for those that offer it.

Barclaycard research backs this up. Almost three-quarters of all people ordering restaurant food via home delivery apps say they do it because of the convenience it offers.

“I was talking to a Managing Director of a national restaurant brand, which is using an on-demand online delivery service,” said Paul Manktelow, Strategic New Business Manager, Barclaycard. “Its delivery turnover is £4m and it’s got to that in just two years. That’s £4m of growth without a bricks and mortar overhead.”

Alongside the popularity of in-home restaurant dining, there is also a trend for the restaurant sector to be creative in order to tempt people to visit in person.

Whether that’s through funky street food markets, stocking unusual craft beers or any other means, engagement is key.

Consumers are looking for different experiences that many are choosing to share in real-time via social media channels. But there’s a role for mobile technology here too, as customers increasingly look for their payment experiences to be seamless.

Our research shows that by 2020, more than 1 in 5 consumers expect to be paying via mobile app at the table more frequently than they do today. This rises to nearly 1 in 3 when you look at 18-34 year-olds.

“Restaurants will make paying the bill become increasingly invisible,” says Paul. “Customers can wait too long at the table when all they want to do is go home. Paying via an app allows them to leave straight away, while owners can turn the tables around quicker too.”

Our research shows that by 2020, more than a third of diners expect to pay by contactless more often – whether by card, wearable technology or mobile payment. For the 18-34 group, this increases to almost half at 44%.

In contrast, 29% of people expect to pay by cash less frequently by 2020.

This indicates two important points for restaurants. Firstly, customer demand for contactless payments remains strong – not surprising when you consider the fact that contactless now accounts for one in five of all card transactions in the UK¹.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, those customers will increasingly expect restaurants to be offering the ability to pay that way.

It all feeds back to the growing desire for speed and convenience. Failing to deliver this could put you at a disadvantage – particularly if your competitors have been more forward thinking in their strategy.

“We’re in a great position to help,” says Sharon Manikon, Customer Solutions Director, Barclaycard. “We’re constantly working on new technologies and we also have a huge amount of data from both the consumer and business side of the payments industry. We understand how consumers want to engage with restaurants.”