Research Reveals 7 of 10 Austin Diners Embrace Restaurant Tech
Austin TX – Austin diners have embraced tech innovations adopted by restaurants and bars over the past 24 months, according to research released today. More than 7 in 10 Austinites say they are now likely to choose a venue where they can order food and drinks on their phone.
If there’s a server available to help them, 3 in 4 people would consider using a smartphone to order and pay for a meal – with 2 in 3 people saying they now prefer to use their phone to order and pay in a restaurant.
More than 3 in 4 Austinites say they would be likely to return to a venue that used QR codes to view and order from the menu, with 1 in 5 saying they’d be extremely likely to return. Just 5% say they’d be extremely unlikely to return to a venue that uses QR codes.
Commissioned by global ordering, payments and marketing platform Mr Yum, the research also reveals almost 1 in 2 people rarely or never order a daily special recited by a waiter, but when ordering on their phone 7 in 10 will order a suggested side dish and 2 in 3 will order a suggested paired drink, underlining some of the benefits implementing order-and-pay technology has on Austin venues.
Highlighting other changes in diner behavior over the past two years, 8 in 10 people are now likely to choose a venue with outdoor seating/dining areas compared with prior to the pandemic (March 2020), with 1 in 3 people saying they’re now extremely likely to do so.
More than 85% of people will now choose a venue that follows COVID-safe protocols and 1 in 3 say they are now extremely likely to entertain family and friends at home rather than at a restaurant. But almost 1 in 2 people say they are less concerned about visiting a restaurant today compared with the start of the year.
The research also reveals that while the hospitality industry is facing rising energy, food and labor costs, in order to support their favorite bar or restaurant, more than 1 in 5 people say they’d continue to visit as often even if prices rose by 10%. The majority (59%) would tip staff more than usual to support their favorite venue.
However, 6 in 10 people say they would be unlikely to dine out as often if the total cost of a meal for two at a casual restaurant increased by $10. The majority of people would be unlikely to dine out as often if the price of a bowl of fries increased $2 (53%) or if the price of a burger rose $3 (56%).
But 3 in 4 people would continue to go out as often if the price of a beer increased by 50c, and 2 in 3 people would still go out if the price of a beer rose by $1. The majority (56%) would also go out as often if the price of a margarita increased by $2.
Mr Yum CEO and co-founder Kim Teo says the past 24 months have transformed the hospitality industry across the US and around the globe and restaurants will not return to the “old normal”.
“The mindset around technology in restaurants has changed. Hospitality has been traditionally slow to adopt new ways of working but consumers are embracing this new hospitality,” she says.
“Once venues try the technology, they don’t go back. Whether it’s efficiencies of service, increased spend-per-head and increased customer satisfaction, incorporating Mr Yum makes sense for restaurants.”
Following a $65M Series A in late 2021 led by Tiger Global, investors in Mr Yum include US-based Australian NBA star Patty Mills of the Brooklyn Nets and Grammy Award winning artists Rüfüs Du Sol. The company launched in the US in 2021 and has recently opened its North American headquarters in Austin, TX.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research, commissioned by Mr Yum and conducted by independent research firm Pollfish between July 18 and August 30, 2022, surveyed 300 adults aged 18-54 years living in Austin, TX.
MR YUM
Mr Yum is a mobile ordering, payments and marketing platform for restaurants, with offices across Australia, the UK and the US. With more than 17 million users and industry-leading functionality, the Aussie startup is a global solution that helps businesses grow revenue and connect with their customers to increase satisfaction and loyalty.
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