As a kid, my daily schedule revolved around meal times. Even when I had school activities until 9 p.m. or my parents got stuck at work, we would still make time to eat together as a family. These meals were filled with inevitable questions like, “What did you learn at school today?” and a strict no-phones-at-the-dinner-table policy.
When I went out with my school friends for the first time in middle school, I was shocked to hear that not every family lived by these rules. As more of my friends got Snapchat and Instagram, all of our time at the sticky tables of our local California Pizza Kitchen was spent on our phones. Ironically, we were taking pictures to “savor the moment” while simultaneously letting it slip by.
Even though I couldn’t control the screen time of my company, I could always rely on my servers to be present with me. That is, until the pandemic.
Fear of COVID-19 exposure led restaurants to take extensive safety precautions, including silicone barriers between tables, single kiosk counters and contactless, QR code menus. Many restaurants also adopted handheld payment tablets that servers bring to tables at the end of the meal in lieu of bringing a paper check and taking the guest’s cards — supposedly saving time at server stations.
However, it also creates an awkward, unenjoyable experience for the guest, who has to pay and tip in front of their server. Even more, some restaurants have their servers bring these tablets to tables to input orders instead of using a notepad and immediately heading to a server station — creating a disconnect and uncomfortable dead air. A server nose-deep in an iPad is effectively as transparent and uncomfortable as washing plates at the guest’s table.
These solutions were only meant to be a temporary crutch to kickstart momentum in the restaurant industry. Many restaurant owners, managers and servers, however, have gotten accustomed to life with technology and continue to cut corners instead of prioritizing good customer service.
NYU Steinhardt professor Stephen Zagor has seen the effects of these changes as a restaurant owner, general manager, consultant and patron. Though he agrees the new method of payment is “the most unpleasant part of the dining experience,” he’s grown accustomed to the integration of technology.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all answer,” Zagor told WSN. “If [technology] helps create a beneficial experience to the customer, I say yeah.”
Zagor also pointed out that new technology platforms like seamless payment systems and online food ordering apps provide efficiency and promotions. Similar to Uber, reservation systems like OrderUp store credit card information, track your tab in the app and allow you to pay with the click of a button — eliminating the awkwardness of paying a physical bill. Platforms like Resy and OpenTable allow diners to snag reservations remotely. Similarly, apps like Slice, a local pizza delivery app, and Beli, a restaurant-ranking app, can help promote local businesses without the expense of large billboards or social media advertisements.
“[With technology] I think you sort of lose the essence of dining out,” Zagor said. “It’s a shared emotional experience, and you lose that.”
Maybe the separation between old mom-and-pop restaurants and robotized conveyor lines doesn’t have to be so stark. Banning digital tools from the dining room is unrealistic in an ever-changing world where technology can create art, imitate actors and diagnose diseases. Yet while I use reservation platforms like Resy and OpenTable for efficiency, I draw the line at QR codes and handheld tablets — machines that void the dining room of its sacred social component. For me, eating out is as religious and ritualistic as going to church — you do not disrupt the sanctitude with technology.
Contact Bella Simonte at [email protected].
