Why Adding Tech Features Can Bring Restaurants More Diners

Restaurant owners who are on the fence about modernizing their ordering and payment processes could be at risk of missing the chance to boost sales among 40% of their diners.

As PYMNTS research has found, consumers shown a list of nearly 20 technological features that could influence their purchasing at restaurants selected an average of five offerings that would boost their purchasing.

Millennials and bridge millennials were the respondents most swayed by this features, choosing more than six features on average.

And our research learned the the ability to order online is the most popular feature among respondents who selected any technologies at all, as 41% said it would drive them to make a purchase. Loyalty programs came in second, at 39%.

This difference is small but significant, highlighting the almost-identical popularity of money-saving options like loyalty programs and convenience tools (such as online ordering).

Only 14% of consumers say technology doesn’t incentivize them to purchase. Technology enthusiasts are the opposite of this minority, with various technologies motivating them to make purchases at restaurants.

Our research found that 30% of bridge millennials and 27% of millennials are technology enthusiasts, notably exceeding other generations. (For example, just 15% of baby boomers and seniors are part of this group.)

Technology enthusiasts are far from the only group we queried: Our researchers defined respondents who chose five to eight technologies as technology natives, those who picked two to four as technology skeptics, and those who selected one or none as technology dodgers. These personas helped us determine important trends in data.

For one thing, there’s income. It may not surprise you to learn that 23% of technology enthusiasts earn more than $100,000 per year, more than any other income bracket we measured. These consumers also made up the smallest percentage of those not motivated by technology to increase purchasing, behind those earning between $50,000 and $100,000 (25%) and whose income was under $50,000 (30%).

To learn more about the links between technology and restaurant consumer spending, download your copy of PYMNTS’ Digital Divide: Technology As A Catalyst For Restaurant Spend, a collaboration with Paytronix.