Top 7 Ways Augmented Reality (AR) Is Transforming the Food & Beverage Industry

At first glance, AR VR may seem an insignificant section of video games or commercial images but it has played a pivotal role in revolutionizing the food industry. Augmented Reality (AR) apps are more immersive than ever before and have caught the eye of foodies, as they search food varieties online. With an increase in online searches for food and a surge of food discovery platforms, it has become inevitable for foodpreneurs and food industries to train their employees and engage with their customers through tech in an augmented world.

With the rise and acceptability of social distancing for personal safety due to pandemics, Augmented Reality (AR) apps are changing how we see and interact with things both tangible and virtual, around us.

AR is shaping today for a better future and immensely aiding business continuity in the post-pandemic situations. The Food industry is leveraging its applications to streamline its complex business processes. For the past couple of years, AR has grown significantly in the foodservice industry and is creating a positive impact. Not only better marketing and great customer experiences, but this technology is streamlining numerous backend operations as well.

Top 7 ways by which Augmented Reality is transforming the F&B industry

Powerful AR Marketing, Means More Business

Augmented Reality goes beyond our physical world and creates seamless opportunities for the brand to showcase its food products in a completely new avatar.

Food giant Nestle has an AR app (a 3D animated game) that has a collaboration with the Hollywood movie ‘Rio’. Customers can scan the same on the packaging of its products. Scanning turns their cereal boxes into 3D game consoles.

Another company, Kraft, launched an AR application that can show the users different recipes they can prepare using different Kraft products.

Online delivery is on the surge, post-pandemic, and AR assists customers to visualise the product before making a final purchase decision.

AR For Restaurants

People first eat through their eyes (visual), then by the nose (smell) and then through their mouth (taste) – it’s a universal human nature. Bright, clean and beautiful looking food served, increases the appetites of people and AR is playing a catalyst role in further increasing people’s food appetite.

Augmented Reality (AR) apps are improving both the front-end and the back-end processes for the restaurants. AR improves customers’ experience and enables them to visualise food items even before ordering them. This element takes the entire dining experience to a next level.

In the post-COVID world, AR technology could be the best alternative for menu cards. The labels and tags on the food items are helping the consumers and food lovers have better journeys. Through AR apps it is easier to train restaurant’s staff and explain the different concepts quickly. Be it experimenting with the new dishes or hospitality training, Augmented Reality is streamlining complex business operations.

Menu Item Visualization

The foodservice industry is leveraging Augmented Reality technology by offering consumers a special menu that goes live when scanned with smartphones. Restaurants and hotels use AR apps to present their dishes and promote their food menu by offering excellent 3D visuals and food tours.
The giant pizza restaurant chain, Domino’s Pizza, allows its customers to customize their pizza in 3D before delivery.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Using AR technology, restaurants and F&B businesses are offering more information and visuals to their products and offer the best customer experience to their consumers. Modern Augmented Reality apps can also provide nutritional facts about the food and help consumers make better decisions about their diet.

Enhanced Product Packaging

Restaurants use Augmented Reality apps to buy food and drinks to supplement their packaging by offering virtual information on the top of physical labels and tags.
Absolut, the well-known brand offers an AR app for smartphones that takes consumers back in time on a 3D tour to Aushus where the beverage is prepared. The ‘Absolut Truth AR’ app allows the user to freely explore the entire process of Vodka preparation right from the wheat fields to their bottles.
The Australian wine brand 19 Crimes uses an AR app to enhance their wine bottles and provide more information about the pictures of the 18th century British prisoners on the bottle tags and labels.

AR Technology Eliminates Errors

The F&B industry is the most complex where you need to execute sensitive processes. With Augmented Reality, food processing, inspection, and other operations can be carried out comfortably along with the automation of checklists.

AR technology in the F&B industry is helping businesses bring down the errors to zero. This is achieved by real-time error correction. Whether it is food packaging and processing, managing the assembly line or the entire manufacturing process, integrating AR apps in the business is helping the enterprises scale their processes and eliminate most errors.

Staff Training & Upskilling

Augmented Reality technology can deliver exciting and immersive training experiences for new employees. From operating the equipment to equipment maintenance, and streamlining the assembly lines, AR apps increase the employee retention rate by 80% and the early adopters of Augmented Reality are experiencing a huge jump from the estimated 20% employee retention rate previously.

Apart from that, AR apps also increase employee interest levels and offer better training. AR technology can be applied to any step of the food manufacturing operations. Employees can walk through a detailed step-by-step breakdown of the daily tasks and checklists to supervise and inspect the manufacturing equipment. Augmented Reality has changed employee training for early adopters in the food industry.

According to research in 2017, AR apps can simplify the process of serving food in a way that analyzes and prepares an accurate estimate of food size.

Conclusion

Augmented Reality (AR) adaptation is on the rise in people’s daily life and benefits are well documented in the food industry. From AR apps for virtual 3D food menus to food delivery applications, Augmented Reality is shaping the foodservice industry.

AR apps are helping restaurants cut down their costs in the training and onboarding processes of their employees. This way, the F&B industry is offering better experiences to the new members. Do not lag in the F&B industry and get in touch with your next partner, DRC Systems. Contact us today to learn how we can digitally transform your food business through Augmented Reality!