REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--E la Carte, Inc., creators of the Presto™ Smart Dining System™ for full-service restaurants, announced today that it has partnered with Professor Alex Suskind, associate professor at the world leading Cornell School of Hotel Administration, on a ground-breaking research project related to guest experience with table-top ordering, entertainment, and payment devices. The study was conducted over 23,640 guest checks, 13,476 responses, and 21 restaurants. It highlights the rising trend of self-service technology, such as the Presto System, in restaurants and how it positively impacts the guest dining experience.
In addition, the study notes that guest-facing tabletop technology is becoming widely accepted by consumers, with many guests reporting they are more likely to dine at a restaurant containing this technology. The Presto System empowers the guests to control their dining experience, adds more security to payment transactions, turns tables faster, and increases overall check size average.
Consumers are demanding more control over their dining cadence, and the Presto System is a connected platform for people to pace their dining experience to their preference. Tabletop technology is guest-facing and improves the overall service quality as servers are able to amplify their hospitality efforts by leveraging the tool at the table. The study links positive guest feedback directly to pay-at-table technology, with 79 percent of customers saying the device improved their experience in the restaurant. The study also found a direct correlation between positive guest sentiment toward the device and an increase in server tip percentage.
“We are seeing a phenomenon take place in the restaurant industry. Restaurants are shifting their service model and guests have more on-demand expectations,” said Professor Susskind, associate professor at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. “Technology such as the Presto System will play an integral role in how restaurant brands engage and interact with their guests.”
“Adoption of customer-facing tabletop technology will continue to penetrate the casual dining industry. Restaurants will eventually be compelled to embrace this technology to avoid losing customers who prefer to order and pay via tabletop technology,” said Dr. Ben Curry, PhD, chief data scientist at E la Carte. “As E la Carte continues to disrupt and revolutionize the restaurant industry, we aim to bring an exceptional guest dining experience and provide a fully integrated and easy-to-use solution for restaurants.”
About the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University
The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University is shaping the global knowledge base for hospitality management through leadership in education, research, and industry advancement. Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the school provides management instruction in the full range of hospitality disciplines, educating the next generation of leaders in the world's largest industry. Founded in 1922 as the nation's first collegiate course of study in hospitality management, the Cornell School of Hotel Administration is recognized as the world leader in its field. For more information, visit sha.cornell.edu.
About E la Carte and the Presto™ Smart Dining System™
E la Carte, developers of the Presto™ Smart Dining System™, leads the table-top dining revolution with its guest-facing, pay-at-the-table, e-commerce system. Installed in over 1,800 restaurants across the nation, the Presto System enables restaurant guests to take greater control over their dining experience by allowing them to order from a full menu, play exciting interactive games, and pay their bill directly from the table. The Presto System also provides operational and financial benefits to restaurant operators which drives increased profitability, and unlocks restaurant data that was previously inaccessible, enabling smarter decisions around guest satisfaction.
