Trending: The New Dine and Dash

Dine n’ Dash

Dine and dash is a form of theft by fraud, ordering and consuming food or drinks and then leaving without paying. But now Barclaycard is inviting customers to do just this… but legally of course.

Digital Applications

Restaurant chain Wagamama recently announced a launch of their new app which promotes the legal ‘Dine and Dash’, Wagamamago. Created with Mastercard, Wagamama have said it should save diners around 12 minutes each time they use the app. The app connects directly to the Masterpass digital wallet, with payment being automatically taken at the point of ordering. Thus saving the wait between deciding what to eat and placing the order.

Wagamama isn’t the first to roll out the digital payment scheme, this is just the latest in examples of using mobile payment. J D Wetherspoons launched a table service app in 2017. Linking to customers cards, the digital menu allowed for quick and direct service without having to visit the bar.

Whilst this is a benefit to those looking for quick service, for pay when you order establishments, it can be beneficial in other ways. Single parents for example don’t have to take their children to the bar, or leave them in eyesight whilst ordering, taking the stress out of the experience. Once ordered the drinks and food are brought straight to your table and when your done, you simply get up and go.

Waiting Times

But what about staff knowledge? Without knowing that a table is available, does dine and dash improve waiting times?

Italian chain Prezzo launched a new POS solution with Barclaycard utilising a totem which contactlessly takes payments from mobile phone wallets. The proximity tracking allows for staff to know when the table has been released, improving wait times. This solution builds on Barclaycards Grab + Go which was trialed in 2017 enabling Barclaycard employees to use their smartphones to scan and pay for goods in the staff restaurants.

By adapting pre-existing technology, restaurants are able to reduce waiting times. Customers looking for pre-theatre, cinema or middle of a busy day meal are safe in the knowledge that they don’t have to wait for service during peak times. From a restaurants point of view, this will encourage footfall and increase revenue.

As further restaurants look to improve waiting times and reduce overheads, technology and digital payments look to be offering the answer.

Browse a range of iPad and tablet kiosks online and look at ways you can change the dynamics of your business with our innovative solutions today. For more information, get in touch with the imageHOLDERS team by calling +44 (0)1202 892863 (UK) or +1 877 450 2172 (US) or email [email protected].