The Digital Influence in India's Restaurant Business

The wave of digitalisation has greatly influenced many of our industries, and foodservice business is no exception to this trend. The digital wave has opened up many new possibilities for the foodservice business and has also induced our foodservice industry to become more sensitive to its consumer responses and preferences.

- Jhuma Biswas

Of course, proliferation of food tech companies with their online food ordering facility has revolutionsed the food service industry, and nowadays you do not need to step out of your homes to have the taste of eating out (though holistic eating out experience is a different matter, for which you need to visit restaurants to get a feel of the ambience, décor, concept, and service of the outlet concerned).

After the lockdowns, the food delivery industry in India is recovering at a fast pace and online food ordering business is expected to grow further in our Covid inflicted times, in the near future. But the extensive role of digitalisation in foodservice business goes much beyond online food ordering.

Increased Accountability

Nowadays thanks to online sites like Zomato, TripAdvisor and many other renowned online platforms, and also due to social media channels like Facebook, the power of guests has increased manifolds. In this digital age if a restaurant falters in terms of taste, ambience or hygiene, there is not only a high chance of getting quick adverse criticism but those adverse views can also go viral in digital platforms in quick time.

For example, if a restaurant’s washroom is found unclean or if its tablecloths are found dirty or if its waiters are unkempt, then the guests are not only likely to avoid giving the restaurant a repeat visit, but may also post their ire about the restaurant on the social media. And if the post goes viral, of which there is a decent possibility, then the restaurant is in for serious trouble, which can not only be restricted to plummeting of its image and revenues but may also extend to initiation of stringent legal action against it.