Restaurant taps innovative table technology
Restaurant taps innovative table technology
At Just Desserts and Coffee House in Tucson, Arizona, innovation is making a table so smart it could be the new face of the service industry.
They're called smart tables- touchscreen tabletops that you can play with as you dine.
Dan Collins, a software engineer, designed the tables for his wifes restaurant. Each surface embeds a Windows based computer with HDMI digital output.
"You name it, we have it. Every kind of interaction game you can think of," said Collins. "There's no other place that I know of that this kind of technology exists in a restaurant environment."
The tables are manufactured locally in Tucson, but the parts are outsourced. Each one costs between $3,000 and $5,000 to produce. They are Internet and cable TV ready, giving customers a wide array of activities to choose from.
And you don't have to worry about spilling your drink - the surfaces can handle accidents.
But the tables offer more to customers than just fun and games.
"We're instituting slowly an ordering system that allows people to order their food from the table," said Collins.
Customer Meseret Patterson was intrigued by the idea.
"They don't have to come and say hey are you ready to order? every single time. You can just take your time and order whatever you want," said Patterson.
But some customers worried the personal element would be taken out of the dining experience.
I do worry that it might be a little impersonal, but its good for business, said customer Mikayla Patterson.
Collins says the human touch wont be taken out of the restaurant.
Well still have waitresses checking in on customers, and they can still order the traditional way if thats what theyre comfortable with, said Collins.
The system will help the restaurant cut down on labor costs as well, allowing them to hire less waitresses to check in on people.
"This is the wave of the future. You're starting to see tablets in other restaurants. But they're not fully integrated into their operation. Here we're going to fully integrate it into the operation," said Collins.
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And you don't have to worry about spilling your drink - the surfaces can handle accidents.
But the tables offer more to customers than just fun and games.
"We're instituting slowly an ordering system that allows people to order their food from the table," said Collins.
After mobile phones, yet another distraction from face-to-face conversation - "How about a coffee and a game?" will be the new "pick-up" line.
My first thoughts exactly!! It's a pretty scary thought to not have face to face conversations. I hate talking on the phone, I always have...
What's sad is that people won't have the ability sit quietly for 15 to 30 minutes, with or without conversation. Everyone will expect to be constantly entertained and distracted from the "here and now".
Exactly!!
You're right, especially due to the loss of low end jobs such as waiters and busboys - jobs that so many students (and out of work actors, musicians, artists, etc.) need in order to get by.
Modern technology is a "double edged sword"
True enough Nona62 but our economy has adapted to technological changes before.
The buggy whip & barrel makers eventually found other kinds of ways to make their living. The evolution in the workforce will take time and be painful to many but if past is prolog then we'll figure something out.
Na, not really.
Our economy is consumer based. Bump a bus person's wages up to $15 an hour then sure perhaps some restaurant will only hire 3 people to do the work instead of the 4 they once used however since those three now have more income to spend that 4th potential busby goes to work at the shoe store instead, because that store now needs more help thanks to an increases in their business and a 6th random worker is now needed @ the home improvement center all because of the boost in consumer spending due to the increase in wages. Circle of life. lol
Sure, "makers" play their role but they ain't shit without lots of "takers" with a little cash in their hands. Just saying.