The mobile social revolution is taking business by storm, perhaps none more so than restaurateurs. Facebook and Twitter feeds are full of photos diners snap of their food, and restaurant review apps like Yelp! and UrbanSpoon are seeing explosive growth in the number of users. Restaurants are taking notice: More than half of all fine dining and casual restaurants plan to increase their social media marketing efforts next year, according to the 2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast by the National Restaurant Association.
Smartphone use, in general, has remade the restaurant experience. Today’s diners can browse reviews, book a table, preview a menu, place an order, and even pay their bill using apps on the latest devices like the Samsung Galaxy S6 or another mobile device. Chains like Chipotle, Taco Bell, and Panera have highly successful and popular mobile apps. Taking their cue from these chains, even sit-down establishments like Chili’s and TGI Friday’s are launching their own mobile apps to attract and reward diners. Did you know Starbucks processes 5 million transactions through its app every week?
Want to know how social media, smartphone use, and mobile apps are changing the way Americans eat out? Check out these amazing facts and statistics about the state of dining and mobile today.
