Keeping a Tab

An evening at Cocoparra,a multi-cuisine restaurant in Chandan Nagar,throws up some interesting contradictions.

An evening at Cocoparra,a multi-cuisine restaurant in Chandan Nagar,throws up some interesting contradictions. In this riverside restaurant’s lush setting — dotted with lots of trees attendants approach the visitors with the Samsung touchpad. The moment an order is confirmed,a chef in the kitchen is instantly informed about it. The cashier too receives a pop up of the account that has been opened on that particular table. The service provided by Cocoparra multimedia does not stop here. Guests can explore their menus,even zoomed in on the one they like by touch. Dishes that can even be flipped around to get a better idea and feel. That apart,there is a digital log of visitors’ previous orders.

However,Cocoparra is not the only Pune restaurant to be lured by these interactive features. There are others who have warmed up to the idea of using Tablet PCs for taking orders and managing them. The recently opened Brazilian-themed restaurant Flambos,near INOX is one such. Anita Lazar,owner,says that they not only take orders from customers on their Samsung Galaxy tabs but also have a digital menu that the customers can use to see the pictures of the dishes. They can even customise their order. For instance if a customer is looking at the picture of a particular type of pasta,he or she can choose whether they want more cheese or sauce, she adds.

The step towards digitising the dining experience has made it a more personal one,apart from making the selection of dishes more fun. Amar Jog,COO,SNS Entertainment,that manages Cocoparra says,Let us assume a customer had come in earlier and enjoyed a particular dish of fish. When he comes back for the second time asking for the same,the captain already has an account of the customer’s previous order. There is no time lag,and the customer also feels more at home,since his choices are known, says Jog. However,he does admit that in the event of a system crash,it does take time to fish out the order. All these are minor glitches,as the format is gaining popularity. With time these glitches will be done away with, he adds.

Restaurants such as George and Kwality in Camp make use of a device called the Captain’s pad to take orders. The only problem with this system is the software,that crashes at times. Devices like the Samsung Tab and the iPad,however,have software that is apt for restaurant use.

Expanding on the customised experience is the TJ’s Brew Works,located at Amanora Township. TJ Venkateshwaran,owner,shares that they have recently digitised their ordering system. In fact,even the large flat screen display of the orders that are given by a set of customers. They can drink in groups and their cumulative rankings are displayed on these screens. The groups with the highest ranking can win prizes and freebies at TJ’s. The menu and the software for taking orders too have been integrated into the restaurant’s systems. All these help in keeping track of regular customers’ choices as well as expand our database about what the visitors like, he says.

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