Consumers embrace technology at restaurants

When debating where to eat or what to order, consumers increasingly rely on technology, according to the results of a new online survey. The survey, commissioned by Par Tech of New Hartford, NY, asked 1,277 U.S. and Canadian consumers for their opinions on technology and dining. Here are some highlights:

· 52% choose a restaurant because of an online advertisement or email offer

· 66% of frequent diners (persons who eat out five or more times a week) want servers to use mobile ordering technology

· 42% try previously unvisited restaurants because of positive user-generated reviews on sites like Epinions, OpenTable, Yelp! or Zagat

· 62% say they “might consider” or “seriously consider” changing their order based on a specific discount, combo or promotional offer

· 72% of younger consumers (16-24 year-olds) request location-based restaurant offers on their cell phones