The latest iPad-inspired trend? A number of restaurants, including Bone’s in Atlanta have now started to publish their wine lists on the popular Apple gadget. This not only allows diners to scroll through the available selection, but more importantly to read reviews and ratings of the various options as well. Some owners are reporting as high as 11% increases in wine purchases per diner, with no other plausible explanation than the technology shift itself. The tech company behind this new trend, Incentient, also has developed solutions for spectators at stadiums to order food, track stats and buy tickets for upcoming events, and cruise lines or hotels wanting to improve customer service by automating check out, scheduling wake up calls or ordering room service at the touch of a screen. This appears to be a great start for the young Long Island company, but some are already voicing concerns that these iPads could become a distraction to the experiences they’re attempting to enhance. One way to potentially reduce the distraction would be to marry the iPad app with a customer loyalty system specific to each restaurant. This would mean that when you log into the application at the table, it immediately knows what types of wine you’ve selected in the past, what you thought of them, and what you might like to try this time around based on the meal you’re planning to pair it with.
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