Taste the Future: How AR Menus are Transforming the Restaurant Industry!

Gone are the days when augmented reality (AR) was all about a pair of glasses to view images in 3D. The technology has come a long way with a growing list of use cases for AR. From NASA simulations to immersive marketing experiences, augmented reality makes tasks easier – and definitely more fun!

Restaurant and hospitality are another industry where AR is making a huge shift and bringing about interesting innovations. People crave new experiences anywhere they can find them, and restaurants have been using AR to serve this purpose. AR adds a dimension of fun while providing valuable, user-friendly information.

Benefits of AR-powered Menus

The integration of AR technology in restaurants offers numerous benefits, including:

• Enhanced customer engagement
• Contactless ordering
• Personalized dining experiences
• Better-informed decision-making
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Increased revenue potential
• Extra features such as loyalty schemes, games, and more.

Let’s look at some impeccable digital dining experiences that various restaurants have already included in their daily innovative dining solutions.

• Restaurants are offering tabletop games to engage and allow family and friends to bond over these games.
• By scanning a QR code or using image recognition, customers are able to watch virtual demonstrations of chefs preparing their meals, offering insights into ingredients, techniques, and the story behind the dish.
• AR is transforming the restaurant’s ambience by overlaying digital art and animations onto the physical space, themed around the restaurant’s cuisine.
• Restaurants are using AR technology to offer virtual tours of their establishment, giving potential customers an immersive preview of the dining experience.
• The AR-based apps allow customers to locate restaurants and dine-ins that serve food based on their personal preferences and likings, like vegetarian or vegan, health, and diet food.

Let us also look at the top two AR-powered restaurant menus that garnered immense popularity and appreciation.

AR Catering Menu by Magnolia Bakery

The first one to do something exceptional in the augmented reality dining area was Magnolia Bakery in New York. They changed the experience for their customers of ordering a cake. They deployed an AR technology that enabled the bakery to virtually present the cakes on their menu. The visualization is so real that it is difficult to differentiate between a real cake and a virtual one. Hence, customers can ‘feel’ every cake on the menu and order their perfect choice.

Complete Cooking Experience by Le Petit Chef

Recently, an interesting video went viral on social media that was an outstanding example of creative restaurant industry transformation. Le Petit Chef turned the restaurant experience into a piece of digital theatre at various locations like Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, and La Coco Restaurant, Andaz Dubai The Palm. Here a chef, just a few inches tall, prepared their meals right in front of their eyes (before the meal arrived). This provided a talking point for diners throughout the rest of the meal and was definitely something that they would remember and share.

Stunning AR Menu by Boston Pizza

MetaVRse has created a proof-of-concept AR menu for Boston Pizza. The AR is triggered when guests open the proof-of-concept Boston Pizza app on their AR-enabled phone, and hover the camera over a real-life Boston Pizza menu. Menu items pop up in 3D, with ingredient and nutrition information and other interactive features.

As more restaurants begin to incorporate AR menus while adopting technological innovation and receive positive feedback, others will see the lack of such technologies as a competitive disadvantage. Virtual dining enhancements and AR-powered restaurant menus can generate publicity and attract Gen Z diners who typically do not dine out as frequently as older generations. These factors will likely drive the adoption of AR at a faster pace, making AR menus less of a novelty and more of a standard offering in restaurants worldwide.

Gone are the days when augmented reality (AR) was all about a pair of glasses to view images in 3D. The technology has come a long way with a growing list of use cases for AR. From NASA simulations to immersive marketing experiences, augmented reality makes tasks easier – and definitely more fun!

Restaurant and hospitality are another industry where AR is making a huge shift and bringing about interesting innovations. People crave new experiences anywhere they can find them, and restaurants have been using AR to serve this purpose. AR adds a dimension of fun while providing valuable, user-friendly information.

Benefits of AR-powered Menus

The integration of AR technology in restaurants offers numerous benefits, including:

• Enhanced customer engagement
• Contactless ordering
• Personalized dining experiences
• Better-informed decision-making
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Increased revenue potential
• Extra features such as loyalty schemes, games, and more.

Let’s look at some impeccable digital dining experiences that various restaurants have already included in their daily innovative dining solutions.

• Restaurants are offering tabletop games to engage and allow family and friends to bond over these games.
• By scanning a QR code or using image recognition, customers are able to watch virtual demonstrations of chefs preparing their meals, offering insights into ingredients, techniques, and the story behind the dish.
• AR is transforming the restaurant’s ambience by overlaying digital art and animations onto the physical space, themed around the restaurant’s cuisine.
• Restaurants are using AR technology to offer virtual tours of their establishment, giving potential customers an immersive preview of the dining experience.
• The AR-based apps allow customers to locate restaurants and dine-ins that serve food based on their personal preferences and likings, like vegetarian or vegan, health, and diet food.

Let us also look at the top two AR-powered restaurant menus that garnered immense popularity and appreciation.

AR Catering Menu by Magnolia Bakery

The first one to do something exceptional in the augmented reality dining area was Magnolia Bakery in New York. They changed the experience for their customers of ordering a cake. They deployed an AR technology that enabled the bakery to virtually present the cakes on their menu. The visualization is so real that it is difficult to differentiate between a real cake and a virtual one. Hence, customers can ‘feel’ every cake on the menu and order their perfect choice.

Complete Cooking Experience by Le Petit Chef

Recently, an interesting video went viral on social media that was an outstanding example of creative restaurant industry transformation. Le Petit Chef turned the restaurant experience into a piece of digital theatre at various locations like Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, and La Coco Restaurant, Andaz Dubai The Palm. Here a chef, just a few inches tall, prepared their meals right in front of their eyes (before the meal arrived). This provided a talking point for diners throughout the rest of the meal and was definitely something that they would remember and share.

Stunning AR Menu by Boston Pizza

MetaVRse has created a proof-of-concept AR menu for Boston Pizza. The AR is triggered when guests open the proof-of-concept Boston Pizza app on their AR-enabled phone, and hover the camera over a real-life Boston Pizza menu. Menu items pop up in 3D, with ingredient and nutrition information and other interactive features.

As more restaurants begin to incorporate AR menus while adopting technological innovation and receive positive feedback, others will see the lack of such technologies as a competitive disadvantage. Virtual dining enhancements and AR-powered restaurant menus can generate publicity and attract Gen Z diners who typically do not dine out as frequently as older generations. These factors will likely drive the adoption of AR at a faster pace, making AR menus less of a novelty and more of a standard offering in restaurants worldwide.