Every article about attracting Millennials to your restaurant includes the same advice: use technology. Of course, this is great advice! But it can make it seem like Millennials are the only customers who appreciate technology, which definitely isn’t true. Restaurant technology is essential to attracting customers of all ages.
As the National Restaurant Association reports, many Baby Boomers currently use computers to order and look up restaurant menus, but they seem receptive to using smartphones to interact with restaurants. In addition, the NRA reports that:
- 2 out of 5 Baby Boomers have used computers to look up restaurant menus or order online in the past month.
- 1/3 have used their smartphones to look up restaurant locations.
- More than one in 10 have used their smartphones to look up nutritional information, make a reservation, or order takeout or delivery.
In addition, many respondents reported interest in using tablet or smartphone apps to make orders or reservations, use promotions or rewards, or look up nutritional information. And almost half of respondents said that they would use in-store touch screen terminals if they were available.
Want to know what you can do to attract Baby Boomers to your restaurant? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Put nutritional information on your website.
Customers, especially health-conscious Baby Boomers, want to know what’s in the food they’re eating. You might also want to consider putting your information on a smartphone app to make it even easier for people to read.
Many Baby Boomers list loyalty programs as a desirable restaurant feature.
But that doesn’t mean you have to stick with a traditional loyalty card—you can use apps to create effective and easy-to-use loyalty programs. By using an app, customers will always have their loyalty “cards” with them as long as they have their phones.
Pay attention to your font size.
Yes, Baby Boomers are interested in technology, but that doesn’t mean they have the same concerns as Millennials. For example, many Baby Boomers might have difficulty reading small text, so make sure the font size is large or easily adjustable on any tablets or on-site ordering kiosks in your restaurant.
Make it easy to order online.
Baby Boomers have shown that they like to order online, so make it as simple as possible. Keep all ordering information clearly visible on your website. You might also consider an ordering app.
Remember—it’s not all about Millennials! Technology is a great way to attract customers of all ages to your restaurant. Keep these tips in mind to keep your Baby Boomer customers happy!
Article provided by Buzztime.
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