Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
iPad's Momentum in Restaurants Grows with Buffalo Wild Wings Trial
Ever since the iPad was introduced two years ago, its potential to revolutionize the restaurant industry has been widely touted, with some restaurants already moving to replace their traditional point-of-sale devices with iPads and companies such as Square seeking to fill that need.
And while iPads in restaurants have been catching on here and there, the concept could be ripe for major expansion if a pilot program from restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings proves worthwhile. As detailed by Computerworld, Buffalo Wild Wings is expanding an initial pilot program at one of its Toronto area locations to a new location in Minneapolis, stocking each table with an iPad to allow customers to place their own orders and browse the Internet.
"Ultimately, we are trying to use the technology to enhance the customer experience," [Buffalo Wild Wings director of international business Tim Murphy] said in an interview. "People are familiar with iPads, iPhones and Android tablets, so this would enhance that."The iPad project has seen Buffalo Wild Wings partner with HubWorks Interactive, which offers several different mobile ordering platforms for the iPad along with a case that offers security and protection, a kickstand, a credit card reader, and extended power capabilities including AC power or up to 16 hours of battery life. The company sells basic iPad packages for $750 apiece.
The chain hasn't decided whether to combine purchasing from the device with purely entertainment uses, something it hopes to measure in its tests, Murphy said.
Rather than bolting or tethering the iPads to the tables, Buffalo Wild Wings has opted to equip each device with an RFID chip to serve as a deterrent to theft.
The report notes that social restaurants such as Buffalo Wild Wings are ideal environments for the iPad, with the restaurants typically catering to larger crowds where at least some members have an interest in staying for extended periods of time and watching sports on the numerous televisions mounted around the dining areas.
In the first test, while men in a group typically watched a football or hockey game, women in the group would pick up the iPad and launch Facebook, Murphy said. "We have a very captive audience with good sales volume in our restaurants, so we view this iPad as a way for customers to stay connected socially and not have to use their own device."Buffalo Wild Wings continues to explore all options for the iPad in its restaurants, considering integration of mobile advertising to help offset costs and discussing the possibility of using camera-equipped iPad models to allow video chatting at tables.
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96 months ago
I can't wait to touch other peoples' wing sauce and saliva from their fingers. I can't think of a worse restaurant for this.
96 months ago
There's a walk-up cafe (walk up, order, pick up food, sit where you want) near me that gives the option to order by iPad at the entrance. No way - I'm not touching that thing after everyone else has. I'll order from the human behind the cash register, thank you very much.
And then take the cash they hand you that's just as dirty as the iPad (or dirtier - I bet that iPad gets wiped clean every once in a while, when was the last time you cleaned the cash in your wallet)?
96 months ago
I will by stock in Windex... Wings + iPads will results in very greasy screens...
Interesting nonetheless
Interesting nonetheless
96 months ago
As great as the ipad is, I'd much rather interact with a hot waitress when ordering food.
96 months ago
Social restaurant = men staring at sports on TV, women getting bored on Facebook...
happy 21st century !
happy 21st century !
96 months ago
OMG -- can you imagine the gunk, food and greasy fingerprints that these things have on them at the end of the day?! I believe there are even those that would deliberately try to break the device (pour soup into the head phone jack, etc) -- there are some ridiculous people out there that just want to destroy stuff.
96 months ago
OMG -- can you imagine the gunk, food and greasy fingerprints that these things have on them at the end of the day?! I believe there are even those that would deliberately try to break the device (pour soup into the head phone jack, etc) -- there are some ridiculous people out there that just want to destroy stuff.
Do restaurants leave gunk, food, and greasy fingerprints on the table after someone leaves? No, a good restaurant cleans the table before someone else uses it! :confused:
96 months ago
Aww, I posted a whole reply and then got a 503 "guru meditation" error that wiped my post.
Anyway, basically I wouldn't want to replace human interactions with waiters/waitresses. Though I could see this technology being used at fast food or takeout type places. Imagine walking up to a kiosk, ordering your custom burgers or pizzas, getting a ticket number printed, then just waiting for your number to be called.
But for sit-down places? No, I like talking to service staff.
The iPad is not meant to replace the server, it just allows the guests to control their experience (place orders and pay their bill without having to always wait for the server to come back) and allows the server to become more efficient (not collecting cards, check splitting, getting signatures, waiting in line for a POS terminal, etc). In fact, it allows the servers to spend more time assisting the guests...
(don't want to sound like a salesman, just trying to clear up the misconception that the iPad replaces the server)
96 months ago
Oh boy, I can't wait use a locked down iPad coated in old honey mustard and crusty barbecue scunge.
96 months ago
There's a walk-up cafe (walk up, order, pick up food, sit where you want) near me that gives the option to order by iPad at the entrance. No way - I'm not touching that thing after everyone else has. I'll order from the human behind the cash register, thank you very much.
Do you touch door handles to get inside buildings? Germophobes are funny. Sad, but funny.
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