6 Ways Restaurants Are Innovating in 2022

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The restaurant industry is constantly evolving to keep up with today’s fast moving, technology centric lives. As restaurateurs adapt their business models, restaurants are becoming more competitive than ever before. The restaurant industry is projected to reach 1.6 trillion dollars by 2020. 6 ways that restaurants are innovating through 2022 are outlined below.

Many times restaurant operators fail to innovate because they are afraid of the risk associated with changing their business model or introducing a new product line. However, restaurant entrepreneurs can stay innovative by watching how their competitors run their businesses and getting inspiration from similar industries. The benefits of being an early adopter should always be taken into consideration when looking for innovation ideas within your restaurant.

1.  Virtual Restaurant Menus

As restaurateurs approach their 20th year of business, it is common to be more concerned with restaurant cost rather than restaurant profitability. This has been a major turnoff for restaurant consumers, who are taking advantage of today’s technology and looking at restaurant menu prices online before they visit a specific restaurant. This process makes restaurants even less competitive as they lose potential customers that would have otherwise dined there. 

A way restaurants can compete in this new environment is by reimagining the restaurant menu to include both physical and virtual components. For example, establishments could still have physical menus using restaurant digital signage solutions but also offer an app or website where all of the food items are featured. The restaurant would then be able to update the signage or app frequently and customers would be able to virtually experience their food before they even order it.

2.  Movable Restaurant Furniture

As restaurant seating is often set up for an average or below average height person, restaurateurs should consider moving away from traditional fixed restaurant tables and chairs with spandex chair covers. By incorporating restaurant booths that can easily be moved by waiters or customers the restaurant will allow smaller customers to sit down with ease without having to worry about not being short enough to sit at a regular table. For taller patrons this will give them more legroom which will lead to better customer service as well as a great dining experience.  

3.  Custom Restaurant Orders

Custom restaurant orders are also an important restaurant innovation in 2022. By giving customers the option to select their food items prior to ordering, restaurateurs can reduce the time it takes for a customer’s order to be ready at the restaurant or delivered. This allows restaurant owners to save money that would have otherwise been used on ingredients that were not ordered by the customer. Additionally, when customers are able to customize their orders they are more likely to enjoy restaurant experience and revisit when craving for this dish in particular.   

4.  Food Delivery via Drone

One of the biggest complaints restaurant consumers have is waiting too long for their food after being seated. A way restaurants can innovate over this problem is through drone food delivery. Drones can easily distribute restaurant food orders to customers who are unable to walk long distances without aid. This restaurant innovation would help restaurant consumers that do not have the ability to travel or wait long periods of time for their restaurant food to be delivered. Additionally, restaurant owners will save on labor costs as drones require less human interaction than having restaurant employees deliver food via foot or car.

5.  Restaurant Themed Board Games

As smartphones become more popular among restaurateurs, they are finding new ways of engaging with customers. One way is through creating restaurant themed board games. Restaurateurs should look at other industries’ successful social engagement platforms, such as video game apps, for inspiration on how they can implement this restaurant innovation in 2022. This restaurant innovation will allow restaurant owners to better market their restaurant and engage in a more playful and fun way with restaurant consumers.   

6.  Virtual Restaurant Tours

Another restaurant innovation in 2022 is virtual restaurant tours. With the ability of today’s technology, restaurateurs can provide potential customers with virtual experiences of what it is like inside their restaurant before the customer has even walked through the front door. This allows potential customers to see exactly what they are getting themselves into when selecting this specific restaurant over another. Additionally, with websites such as Google providing 3D modeling for most restaurants, there is no excuse why restaurateurs can’t look at other industries’ innovative methods and implement them in their own business.   

Restaurant owners need to look at all restaurant innovations in 2022 and incorporate what will work best for their restaurant business. The restaurant industry is one of the largest, if not the largest, industries in the world. Due to its size restaurateurs should constantly be thinking of ways to better their restaurant with innovative restaurant ideas that appeal to their customers.