Diners are hungry for mobile apps

More and more information is on the move as life is going mobile and the use of smartphones increases at a staggering pace. There were 717 million smartphone shipments in 2012 alone and that number is expected to increase by 30 percent in 2013.
Smartphone users, ranging from Millenials to Baby Boomers, are using their Apple and Android apps to accomplish a number of day-to-day tasks – one of the most prominent is to find local information. Ninety-four percent of users have looked for local information and 27 percent of total users are looking every day. Fifty-two percent of users have used their phones to look up directions or maps to local businesses.

Restaurants top the list of places people are searching for. Smartphone apps allow users to find restaurants, read reviews, check menus and nutritional information, find deals and coupons, order food, pay the check and earn loyalty rewards. The entire dining experience can be managed through one’s mobile device.

Moms on the go have taken special advantage of the convenience that these apps provide. Seventy-one percent of moms have used their smartphone to search for fast food while on the go and 32 percent have used their smartphone to look for coupons or special promotions.