An increasing number of restaurants in the US are relying on technology to speed-up and simplify the process of ordering. At diners such as Chili's Grill & Bar, for example, customers are now using a small, interactive computer screen to place their order.
One obvious advantage of this is that it means firms can reduce their overheads by employing fewer staff. But from a customer's viewpoint, there is also the added advantage of being able to preview the meal they want before placing an order. The screens - which are being trialed at dinners throughout the country - display glossy images of all the meals on the menu.
Allied to this, some of the screens also allow customers to play video games and read news stories, often without any additional charge.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Austen Mulinder, president and chief executive of TableTop Media, the firm behind the technology, said: "Restaurants are faced with either being outside of that communication and just allowing it all to take place on guests' phones or they can be part of that."
Jay Johns, vice-president of strategy implementation at Applebee's, which is currently trailing the technology, explained that the move should also simplify the process of paying the bill. "When you are ready, that five minutes waiting for the credit-card transaction feels like 20."
The technology allows customers to pay for their meal using their credit card. Some of the screens are so advanced, in fact, that they are able to print the bill at the table, meaning there's no hanging around.
Mike Bova, senior vice-president of operations for ERJ Dining, has welcomed the new technology, explaining that dessert orders have risen by 30 percent since it was introduced. Furthermore, restaurant owners have found that the screens have helped to turn historically low tippers into more generous customers.