How Menu Card Play has changed inside the Restaurant

Restaurant business is a thriving, dynamic sector in India that reflects the nation's varied culinary traditions and cuisine. India offers a vast variety of dining experiences, from inexpensive street food vendors to upscale fine dining venues, thanks to its diverse regional cuisines. 

Rise of QR-Based Menu

The restaurant business witnessed a significant paradigm shift during the pandemic, moving from traditional menu cards to QR Code menus. Eateries use QR codes instead of paper menus; making it a permanent development in the sector. Diners are directed to a website from which they may view the menu after scanning the code with their smartphone. Some eateries will go one step further and offer a completely contactless ordering experience by enabling customers to place their orders online. It's not always simple to adjust to change, particularly in the restaurant business. But since it might boost revenue and guarantee long-term success, it might be advantageous to do so. Using QR codes at restaurants is an excellent place to start. 

Tweaking the Physical Menu Card

Many restaurants also have innovative menu options during various festivals. The menu card is decided based on the popularity of the dish during the festive seasons. With the increase of social media, people are more inclined towards trying new food and beverages. The food influencer’s also promote various food in an around social media creating the hype among the consumers. A lot of eateries will frequently change their menus. Using physical menus can make this challenging. However, businesses can personalize their menus, add highlighted items, and change out-of-stock items as much as they'd like when using a virtual menu. 
The videos and drool-worthy photos of food influence various social media users to try the delicious food by visiting the restaurants or placing an online order from those restaurants.

What’s pushing this Trend

Awareness on Social Platforms: Social media has significantly altered the restaurant industry because customers are always seeking for new experiences, trends as they are now well aware about what’s happening in the globe. “The eateries' reach has expanded concurrently as a result of their increasing presence on social media. The level of innovation to keep the audience interested is unprecedented. Menu accessibility and the inexpensive menu modifications made possible by QR codes have revolutionized the industry,” said Akansha Saigal, Executive Chef, Tattva Bar and Café, Mumbai who highlighted that being low maintenance also give an added wow factor for the guest and are simple to modify with fresh seasonal menus and food photos.

Seamless Ordering: Innovation isn’t a trend, its survival. But how we innovate in F&B has changed over the years. Today’s audiences are well travelled, curious, need clear and quick communication, and are tech savvy; so how do we apply that to menus? 

“Across the world seamless ordering via apps or a QR code menu is being used much more often, and restaurants are incorporating this technology. But make sure that you have enough ‘instagramable’ dishes on the menu, as diners crave the experience factor. Who knew that if you set your butter chicken on fire it would spark off social media frenzy, and before you know it, everyone wants to try it! Last of all, eat outside of the box,” commented Siddharth Mathur, Founder & Director, Secret Ingredient.

Seeking Unique Flavours: Millennials often seek out unique flavor combinations, and trends like plant-based options or international cuisines. Menus that offer nutritious and health-conscious options, such as low-calorie, gluten-free, or high-protein dishes. Authenticity genuine storytelling about the origin of ingredients or the inspiration behind dishes can create a deeper connection.“With the power of social media and influencer marketing, people are aware of the new innovative menus in restaurants during festivities or food festivals etc. Influencers and food bloggers can showcase new menu items through engaging content, such as photos, videos, and reviews, reaching their followers and beyond. Influencers often share their genuine experiences, which can build trust and excitement around a new menu or festivals,” explained Chef Anit Saklani, Executive Assistant Manager, The Fern Brentwood, Mussorie.

Engaging dining experiences: Restaurants are capturing Millennials’ attention by offering unique, customizable menu options and incorporating international flavors to make dishes more captivating and memorable. “By emphasizing local ingredients, eateries can also make a significant impact. Millennials seek dining experiences that go beyond the ordinary, valuing creativity and individuality in their meals. The appeal lies in providing something extraordinary and personalized, whether through authentic flavors, visual presentation, or a connection to local sourcing,” elaborated Chef Dheeraj Mathur, Cluster Executive Chef, Radisson Blu, Kaushambi, Delhi NCR who summed up by saying that millennials are drawn to menus that present not just food, but a distinctive and engaging dining experience that stands out from the usual cuisine.