Apps and innovative means of merging dining and technology are being created left and right. Here is a compilation of some that didn’t make it into our November/December “Keeping App with the Times” issue. Amidst the plethora of competitors, who will win the race to app mountain?
Drink Advisor Launches on the App Store and Google Play
Independent developer Rilon announced that Drink Advisor is now available for smartphones and tablets on the App Store and Google Play. Drink Advisor is the world’s largest database of over 3000 of the best bars and clubs in more than 120 cities including London, Paris, New York, Cape Town and Moscow. Drink Advisoris designed for local city residents and travellers alike, and uses the user’s location to provide detailed listings of the best and brightest nightspots nearby. For those who want to party at home, Drink Advisor also includes a comprehensive database of drink and cocktail recipes. Users can rate and review each venue as well as check in and upload their own photos. In addition to user reviews and ratings, each venue listing contains contact information as well as access to a live map and directions. Built with social integration at its heart, Drink Advisor lets users link to multiple social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Google+) to share their tips as well as invite their friends out for drinks at certain nightspots.
Celeb Teens Using Fake IDs? New App Changes Game for Proprietors
What can be done to help nightclub owners avoid admitting underage patrons and potentially prevent the sometimes tragic consequences of underage drinking? Owners and managers of nightclubs, restaurants, bars, liquor stores and other establishments where fake IDs are used, epidemically no longer have an excuse, as they now have access to game-changing technology that can expose fake IDs with the push of a button. BarZap, a new app created by mobile security experts at Intellicheck Mobilisa, Inc. is an easy-to-use, highly effective wireless identification and security system for mobile and handheld devices. To expose a fake ID card, all a barZapp user has to do after downloading is aim their smartphone at the barcode on the card, whether it be a driver’s license or other form of government, state, or military ID. The authenticity is determined by reading the information contained in the barcode. The app also keeps track of who was scanned and at what date and time.
Duracell Powermat Launches Wireless Smartphone Charging Pilot Program with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Powermat Technologies launched a pilot program with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to bring Duracell Powermat wireless phone charging to consumers in the Los Angeles area. Customers who visit select locations of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf can charge their mobile phones through Duracell Powermat’s innovative and user-friendly platform for free. Customers of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in these test locations will also be the first to experience the new Duracell Powermat Powermatrix App. Available at the iTunes Store and Google Play, the new app aids consumers in The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf finding locations that are enabled with Power Matters Alliance (PMA) technology so they can always know how close they are to the next recharging opportunity. The App will also enable customers to purchase Duracell Powermat accessories online.
Bolt Burgers: The Most High-tech Burger You’ll Ever Order
No restaurant in D.C. has been better outfitted for the iPhone generation than the forthcoming Bolt Burgers. It is a restaurant full of screens – touchscreen systems for ordering your food and making your drinks, tablets at every table, and a 16-foot-wide projected TV screen to watch while you wait for your order. You can order food without having a single interaction with another human being, which, for those who prefer texting and online ordering, is a major plus.
HauteLife 360 Connect: Mobile App
HauteLife 360 connect is an integrated marketing and promotion program across all HauteLife platforms. These all-encompassing campaigns interconnect with high-profile chefs and restaurants, while elevating the visibility of HauteLife partners-from print to online. Experiential events provide exclusive and high-impact opportunities for brand awareness and expansion. Brand and product exposure comes full-circle from in-restaurant presence and experiences to online and offline integration. HauteLife aims to take your brand to the level of excellence and exposure unparalleled by any other marketing platform. Notable Chefs behind Hautelife include Scott Conant and David Bouley.
Table Tracker: Fast Casual Restaurants
Table Tracker is an advanced table location technology that is designed to speed up food delivery in fast-casual restaurants and elevate the guest experience. Food runners simply check a prominently displayed Table Tracker computer screen, immediately locate the order and the corresponding table on the provided map, and deliver food quickly. Diners get their fresh, hot food faster; and, food runners no longer have to wander around the restaurant looking for table tent numbers.
The system includes a touch-screen PC monitor, receiver, Table Tracker devices, Starter/Clearing Units, a To-Go Unit and a map of the restaurant to help food runners find tables.
The Table Tracker device, is smaller than a CD and less than a half-inch thick. Once placed on the table, the device detects the table number and then sends information to the kitchen display. There’s nothing on the table taking up premium table space. Table Tracker ensures tables are turned faster and orders are delivered promptly with as few food runners as possible.
How Does Table Tracker Work?
1) Your guest places an order and the cashier gives them a Table Tracker with an assigned order number. A timer is started for that order.
2) Your guest selects a seat and places the Table Tracker on their table. The device reads the table number and sends that information to the touch-screen PC in the expeditor area.
3) When the order is ready, the runner checks the screen to find the table in which the food needs to be delivered. Runners no longer have to hunt for the correct table and your guests receive their food hot and fast.
4) The order is quickly delivered to the customer with no unnecessary wandering. The runner returns the Table Tracker to the Clearing Unit which deletes the order from the touch-screen PC and stops the timer.
