The hospitality industry’s love affair with tablets continues, as the past few months have ushered in a bevy of applications that are making printed menus obsolete for many. The latest generation of tablet solutions allows customers to quickly browse food and beverage offerings and read reviews, while operators are able to update menus to reflect daily specials and promotions. The most robust of offerings feature real-time inventory management system integration to help operators keep tabs on food stock, and the ability for guests to order and pay for meals.

 

For instance, Aptito’s digital menu software also comes with games for kids, streaming news for parents and social media sharing. AccuBar’s interactive wine menu allows users to search by wine type, varietal, winery, region, price, ratings and other criteria, while the company’s barcode-enabled beverage management system keeps the wine list updated across all these platforms and excludes out-of-stock items. eTab, which debuted its self-service solution at NRA 2011, allows patrons to order and pay at their table through a digital menu interface on a portable touch-screen computer, wirelessly connecting each table to the restaurant’s wait staff and existing point-of-sale system. And for its part, Micros just debuted its mymenu app which integrates guest loyalty programs with the user interface and ordering process.

 

Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia, Maryland is currently using the Micros solution to allow customers to search its entire “Libations” Menu, a constantly changing inventory of more than 400 beer and wine selections. “I want Victoria to be the predominant educator of libations in the Baltimore/Washington area,” says owner Randy Marriner. “Micros mymenu provides us an elegant platform to accomplish this goal and engages our customers with a technology that complements our hospitality without replacing it. I look forward to implementing more of the features of mymenu, such as table-side ordering.”