DIGITAL MINIMALISM
Starbucks has led the way in implementing digital minimalism across its stores
survey profiling its restaurant customers’ diners. A survey by POS provider Toast similarly found 81% of diners prefer a physical menu over a QR code. Peer-reviewed research in 2024 by Science Direct reached a similar conclusion: QR menus can diminish customer loyalty versus traditional menus, due to perceived inconvenience. Consumers are also pruning their digital inputs in this post- pandemic era. Among Gen Zers, 43% say they’re seeing benefits from a more minimalist digital routine, according to a generational survey conducted by ExpressVPN in 2024. Meanwhile, US data from Harmony Healthcare IT in 2024 shows that 40% of consumers are actively cutting screen time while 52% feel too phone-dependent. “Digital minimalism
Y
ou might be hearing the term “digital minimalism” more these days and
wondering what it means. Te idea was first popularized by computer science professor and author Cal Newport in his 2019 book, Digital minimalism: Choosing a focused life in a noisy world. At its core, the philosophy is about using technology with greater intention – paring down tools to only those that add clear value, while reducing the noise, clutter,
and depersonalization that too much tech can bring. For consumers, that has translated into more proactive efforts to “put down the phone” and reconnect with others on a deeper, in-person level. Hard numbers back
this up. A whopping 95% of Americans think restaurants should still offer in-person menus, while only about one in 10 prefer QR codes, according to distributor US Foods’s 2024 Diner Dispatch
means pulling back from living your whole life through your smartphone,” says Tim O’Mara, vice president of the Management Advisory Services division, Cini-Little International. “It’s a conscious effort to look outside your smartphone. In food and beverage, we’re seeing people pull back from technology use because they want more human interaction. Hospitality is all about experience and human interaction.” Now, that mindset is
starting to influence foodservice. While the pandemic ushered in a “contactless” era – one marked by enhanced digital adoption
impacting both design and operations – many operators today are rethinking what technology actually serves them, moving away from “tech for tech’s sake” and focusing instead on digital solutions that truly enhance efficiency or the guest experience. “We went heavy on tech –
delivery, QR codes, automation – because people weren’t interacting,” O’Mara says. Now people are saying, ‘Wait a minute, we went too far away from human interaction.’”
“In food and beverage we're seeing people pull back from technology use. Hospitality is all about experience and human interaction”
OPERATIONAL IMPACT
Beyond the dining room, digital minimalism is also shaping how restaurants communicate with guests. Darren Tristano, CEO of Foodservice Results, describes it as narrowing and simplifying digital touchpoints so customers aren’t overwhelmed by constant messaging. “Many restaurants are overburdening their guests with too many touchpoints – emails, texts, app alerts – making it harder
> 51
WORLDWIDE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
