Restaurant Technology Trends To Watch In 2017

Restaurant operators must remain on top of trends if their operations are to remain competitive, whether they’re related to food, business — or technology. Here are three new restaurant technology trends to watch as 2017 draws near.

Chatbots

Chatbots leverage artificial intelligence to communicate in a bidirectional manner, holding text-based conversations with users without any human intervention. By some estimates, 85 percent of customer relations with restaurants and other merchants and service providers will eventually occur without human interaction using technologies like chatbots to get the job done.

Chatbots rank among new key restaurant technology trends because they help to provide a better customer experience — an essential element for operations that want to maintain a sharp competitive edge. For example, restaurants can utilize chatbots to answer easy, but important, customer questions such as the restaurant’s address and hours of operation, as well as manage wait lists and reservations.