Seventy-Nine Percent of Diners Say Technology Improves Their Restaurant Experience

New Study from Toast Reveals Consumer Preferences for Technology in the Restaurant Space

Seventy-nine percent of consumers agree that technology improves their restaurant experience, according to a survey conducted by Toast POS, the all-in-one restaurant technology platform. The finding was unveiled as part of the Toast Restaurant Technology in 2016 Dining Report, released today, which analyzes responses from more than 1,100 diners, revealing how they feel about consumer-facing technologies in the restaurant space – including identifying the technologies they use most frequently, and those they could do without.

According to the study, a significant 88 percent of participants report that they have placed an online order through a restaurant’s website, with 27 percent stating they use online ordering on a weekly basis. Further, 62 percent of respondents have chosen to place mobile orders using their smartphones or tablets when this technology option has been available.

Among the technology features consumers find most important, online reservations topped the list with 36 percent of votes, followed by free WiFi at 23 percent and mobile or online ordering at 19 percent.

“Consumers overwhelmingly agree that technology is improving the way they engage with restaurants and enhances their overall dining experience,” said Chris Comparato, CEO of Toast. “The study’s findings not only provide deep insight into the impact of restaurant technology tools and trends but also serve to help restaurant owners and managers prioritize how to invest in new capabilities for 2017 and beyond.”

Additional findings from the Toast Restaurant Technology 2016 Dining Report include:

• While 82 percent of diners still prefer receipts, 42 percent of diners today request to receive receipts via email, while 11 percent request mobile receipts;

• 42 percent of respondents have used mobile payments such as Apple Pay, LevelUp, Samsung Pay, etc.;

• Delicious food remains the number one factor in a good restaurant experience according to 60 percent of diners, while quality service ranked second at 22 percent.

To access the full report, visit Toast Restaurant Technology in 2016 Dining Report.

Survey Methodology: Toast conducted an online survey from July 27, 2016 to Aug. 26, 2016, with 1,115 respondents drawn from a nation-wide consumer audience.