Bars and restaurants are some of the oldest trades going but they are not shy when it comes to embracing new technology and modernizing a long-standing trade. The recent pandemic has bought about some of the changes ahead of schedule but it looks like those changes are here to stay. You might be questioning what bar technology actually looks like but chances are you have already come across it and already benefited from it. Still sceptical? The proof is the pudding, here are some ways in which technology is improving the bar industry. 

Digital menus

In a bid to reduce the amount of human contact on shared surfaces during the pandemic many bars and restaurants rid themselves of a physical menu and replaced them with a scannable QR code or digital menu. By scanning the QR code on the table with your smartphone you can access the menu from your phone. The benefits are numerous and perhaps unexpected, from cost-saving, reduced environmental impact, and infection to control. They also allow for bar owners to add further detail to the menu with the option of including pictures to further entice customers. They are also easier to maintain and update. Like it or loathe it the digital menu is here to stay. 

Digital ordering

It is not just how you choose your food and drink that is changing but the way you order it also. In a bid to reduce human contact many bars and restaurants adopted an online ordering system during the pandemic, be it via an APP or company website. Customers can now place their orders and make payments from their smartphones at their table reducing the need for contact with waiting staff. In turn, bar and restaurant owners have faced reduced staffing bills and customers have the ease of ordering at the press of a button as and when it suits them, often resulting in over-ordering. While this may not be a feature of every restaurant or bar up and down the country but you can expect to see it growing in popularity. 

Sports streaming

Going to a bar to watch the latest game is a treasured pastime for many but finding the right bar with the right game wasn’t always the easiest, especially if you are looking to watch a less popular game. Thanks to the rise of OTT streaming more and more bars and restaurants have instant access to hundreds if not thousands of sports that are played all around the world. As a result, finding a bar with the game or sport you want to watch has never been easier. 

Online reservation systems

Remember the days when you would have to call up in advance to reserve a table? They are long gone. Now the overwhelming majority of restaurants and bars will have the technology to reserve your table online at the click of a button. You can add information such as dietary requirements, seating preference, or information on the occasion of the visit. This can be done at any time of day, any day of the week, reserving a table at your favourite bar or restaurant has never been easier.