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Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX Tablets to Serve Diners at Applebee's in 2014

Tablets are on their way to become a popular restaurant utensil

Dec 4, 2013 08:59 GMT  ·  By
Applebee to install 7-inch tablets in restaurants in the US
   Applebee to install 7-inch tablets in restaurants in the US

Those planning to take a tasty break at Applebee’s will soon be able to enjoy more than a delicious meal and nice atmosphere.

According to recent information reported by USAToday, the restaurant chain has just struck a deal which will see the installation of over 100,000 tablets across 1,800 locations in the United States. The company claims the tablets will start showing up for dinner by the end of 2014.

The tablets Applebee is aiming to bring to help with restaurant service and entertainment are 7-inch ones like the Google Nexus 7 or Amazon Kindle Fire HDX.

Applebee has been currently testing consumers’ response to the tablets, and said the slates encourage dinners to send more requests to the kitchen for appetizers and desserts.

On top of that, customers don’t have to wait for the waiter to bring them their check at the end of the evening, but can proceed to pay whenever they want. This feature will certainly prove handy for busy professionals who don’t like to waste time while lunching.

For families and other casual diners, the tablets provide access to games and videos that will certainly keep customers entertained while waiting for their meal. However, requesting to play a game will cost users an extra but modest fee.

There are a few safety concerns here, since the tablets can be damaged pretty easily especially if small children have been at the table, but we think Applebee might end up adding some protective accessories to the slates, in order to prevent smudges and other food-related hazards from happening.

It should be noted that the tablets won’t be replacing traditional menus, but they will surely provide more information about the dishes. For example, customers might get to read the complete list of ingredients, health-related information (eg. how much calories a dish has) and view images of what they are about to order.

Not so long ago, Chilli restaurant chain announced it was embarking on the tablet journey, as well. Will tablets become the mainstream ordering routine in every restaurant?