Technology has changed virtually everything that we do today. People all over the globe in every culture can attest to the fact that technology is making things much easier and more accessible. While there are many sectors in the business world that technology has improved dramatically, there are also other areas in our personal lives we are experiencing changes in on a continual basis. In fact, most of us are witnessing that there has been a paradigm shift in the way the leaders in the food industry even think.
With this being said, here’s some of the key ways in which technology is driving the changes in how we eat.
Remember the time when…
…restaurants and fast food chains provided dual services to accommodate their customer’s needs. The services provided allowed people to eat their food inside the restaurant or they could make other provisions by ordering take out. Take out had two options; pick is yourself or opt for delivery.
In either event, the customer would arrive at the restaurant to place their order or they would have the option of calling in their order by phone. In both situations, the customer would be required to talk directly to an individual before their order could be completed. Then the customer had to wait for meal to be prepared and delivered (or picked up personally).
Cut the middle man
Today, the entire process has changed, especially the restaurants that are linked up to the latest technologies and trends.
These changes normally entail using the tools that the customer has access to in order to place their order. For example, the customer may place their order via their computer in the privacy of their home or they may use their smart phone to access the site while in transit. The choice that the individual makes is based on personal preference, location, and the technology that they have available to them at the time.
Once the person enters this information online, the restaurant can review the order and then respond accordingly. Again, there is no human intervention required to place this delivery order since all activities are done via software systems online.
Delivery and Innovative Technology Changes
It is important to note that today’s workforce is spending more and more time away from home. Which means, people spend more time eating out and having food delivered to them instead of preparing family meals. In some cases, the individual may have to switch out family time to office work outside of the home. So, some of the meals that they eat during the day can be delivered to them in an office. Regardless to the place and the actual circumstances, technology is also making it much easier for an individual or a group to have their foods delivered in.
In these situations, an individual can access the restaurant’s site and provide the information that is needed. For instance, the customer will provide the name of an individual, the address, what kinds of foods are required and time of delivery among other stuff. Basically, it`s cooking without the cooking part.
Future we`re living in
Food industry went even further and it will develop even more. There are application that you can easily install on your device and order food. Best thing is that you don`t even need to pick restaurant in the first place.
I`ll use example of Just Eat (the online takeaway service from UK) – you have the option to choose meals from over 1600 takeaways and restaurants in Ireland alone, and over 45 000 registered takeaways and restaurants worldwide.
Does this kind of technology makes us lazy?
That`s up for you to decide, but I like the option to visit just one place and decide what to eat instead of browsing several sites and menus, just like the Google, visit one site and decide what is the best answer for your query.
Changes in technology are driving a wide array of things that people depend on today. One of these changes is the way that we eat.
Photo credit: Stock Snap
