Virtual Reality (VR) has seen a significant rise in popularity in recent years. Many industries, of which the most popular gaming industry, have grabbed the potential of this technology to improve customer experiences or ease business operations (ThisisDMG, n.d.). Now, VR is bringing exciting changes to the food industry.
Restaurants are constantly searching for new ways to surprise their customers. They have recently started experimenting with VR dining experiences, offering millennials more than a meal when they dine. The technology can be implemented in restaurants in various ways.
‘Faux dining’
VR is used to stimulate the same senses while eating and replicating this. Researchers from the National University of Singapore have created a synthesizer that produces the four primary taste components. These signals are transmitted through a silver electrode that touches the tip of the diner. At the same time, the temperature is also regulated to offer the most realistic experience. People eat with their eyes – if something looks appetizing, the food will be tastier. Therefore, VR headsets are used to simulate an environment. In this digital dining room, the mood is set, and the senses are stimulated by the smell and appearance of the food. This promises potential benefits for people trying to reduce calories but still want to enjoy their dining experiences (Inamdar, 2021).
3D design dining
Among VR’s applications for the food industry, transferring diners to an entirely different location is one of the most entertaining. Wearing the VR headset, you can distort reality, transporting yourself to a beautiful Tuscany Garden or an underwater scene (Tatti, 2016). Such extraordinary experiences make people want to talk about and share on social media (Brinkley, 2020).
Employee training and VR
From an operations perspective, the use of VR could also be valuable. Nowadays, VR headsets provide solid training for restaurant employees (e.g., Honeygrow). An example would be KFC’s training simulation, which explains the five phases of frying chicken by letting employees play mini-games while being commanded by Colonel Sanders himself (Inamdar, 2021).
VR is no longer an illusion; it has transformed the dining experience. It is still a novel concept, but as the field develops interest, it has excellent potential to grow in the future (Brinkley, 2020). Are you interested in trying VR dining?
References
Brinkley, R. (March 21, 2020). I ate a meal in virtual reality. Here’s what it tasted like. CNBC. Retrieved October 15, 2022, https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/21/virtual-reality-dining-explained.html.
Inamdar. (March 23, 2021). How VR is Revolutionizing the Food Industry. Linkedin. Retrieved October 15, 2022, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-vr-revolutionizing-food-industry-tanveer-inamdar-/.
Tatti, E. (May 31, 2016). Check out how virtual reality is being used in these restaurants. Typsy. Retrieved October 15, 2022, https://blog.typsy.com/check-out-how-virtual-reality-is-being-used-in-restaurants.
This is DMG! (n.d.). Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality Post COVID-19: What’s New Normal? Retrieved October 15, 2022, https://www.thisisdmg.com/en/augmented-reality-virtual-reality-post-covid-19/.
That is a very interesting concept. Would this VR eliminate the need for interior decorations in the restaurant? Would this concept also allow for the food to be of a lesser quality as taste is substituted by visual appeal? It makes me wonder how AR would play into this concept. VR shifts the dining experience to a completely new reality, while AR would maintain a balance between the real world and the virtual world. Another interesting idea that could be further explored is creating a restaurant in the confines of your house. By putting on the headset you could be transported into a dream dining location yet be sitting in your own living room. Lastly, I would love to see the integration of VR into cooking. I believe it would make it a lot easier for novice chefs like myself to create better more tasty dishes as I would be aided in every step of the way. As mentioned in the blog post this concept can be gamified adding another layer of enjoyment.