STUDY: 80% of Diners Prefer Restaurant Experience with Technology Experiences

A strong digital footprint and multichannel strategy is critical for restaurants to survive and thrive: 60% of Americans who eat out or take out food say one of the first places they look when deciding on a new restaurant is Yelp and/or Google reviews, and 85% say it’s important to be able to easily find reviews and information online about restaurants, according to HungerRush's research.

These findings are inline with Hospitality Technology's 11th annual Customer Engagement Technology Study, where 74% of restaurant guests said positive consumer reviews and high ratings are moderate or extremely important when selecting one restaurant over another.

HungerRush shared findings from its inaugural report, The RushReport: The 2023 Restaurant Consumer Experience Report, which looks at opinions of consumers on the state of the restaurant industry.

Findings and trends include:

• Consumers demand technology from their restaurants: After years of online ordering, delivery and curbside pickups, consumer behaviors have shifted toward digital. Technology integration is deemed an essential part of the dining experience today, with 79% of consumers indicating they expect to be able to use technology to order at most casual restaurants. With new technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), today’s consumers expect full-service, expedited, and frictionless ordering experiences.
• Being online isn’t enough. Having a digital footprint and visibility across multiple channels to engage and communicate with consumers is critical. Having rich content like reviews, photos and menus can be the deciding factor for being chosen over a competitor.
• Inflation and gas prices are forcing consumers to eat out less and keep it local when they do: Because of inflation, 50% of Americans who dine out or order takeout say they are eating out less frequently, with 44% choosing more affordable options such as fast-casual or to-go options. Higher gas prices are driving location preferences, with 44% of consumers choosing restaurants closer to their homes. Restaurant operators can leverage local promotions and personalized communications to mitigate these trends. In fact, 62% of consumers say it is important that a restaurant they frequent provides personalized communications tailored to them.
• Labor shortages are being felt by all: Half of Americans who dine out have stopped going to a certain restaurant because they aren’t staffed properly, and 82% who eat out or order takeout say restaurants need to do a better job of dealing with the ongoing labor shortages. Customers also know how critical the right technology investments are to a restaurant’s bottom line, 80% say that with the right technology, restaurants can become more efficient and deal with the labor shortage better.

To read The RushReport: The 2023 Restaurant Consumer Experience Report in its entirety, visit: https://pos.hungerrush.com/rushreport