To answer that, we must look at the companies that our providing such solutions and what is the cost model they go with. You have systems by eRestro Tablet Menus ZenuMenu eLaCarte etc. which do a great job. The first two appear to be Android based systems and the third one appears to be a customized device with card reader. In my opinion they target different types of market segments because I am sure fine dines really don't want to inconvenience the guests by making them do everything on their own, specially paying at the end. However it does work excellent at self service or casual dine restaurants where it allows for people to order more as and when they like. The first two systems seem to rely more on large screens to show big beautiful menus thereby tapping into impulsive buying tendencies of buyers.
So the question still remains, should you buy a system like above? Here are a few things you must ask yourself and I believe that it should answer your question.
- Do I serve a type of cuisine not generally known by the local customers? For example am I serving Thai in Europe?
- Do I face intense competition and want to make sure that I can reprice and come up with offers and deals easily and quickly?
- Do I do seasonal menu items which I need to sell as and when they happen?
- Do I have a lot of international customers who may not know the local food or the local language?
- Will my customers appreciate if they get an interface to select the right wine, alcohol or cocktail drink? Because if they do, the probably 3-4 glasses of wine will pay for each system after which it just translates to profit for you.