OpenMenu
Group Members
- Maosen Hu (mjhu@mit.edu)
- Phu Nguyen (phun@mit.edu)
- Edwin Zhang (edwinzg@mit.edu)
Problem Statement
Going out to eat at a nice restaurant should always be an enjoyable time. However, ordering food at a restaurant can be a long and tedious task. People may have trouble finding the perfect meal because the typical menu is a clutter of numerous types of foods often requiring the customer to make a stressed decision. Some menus don't include images or ingredients, and some don't even have descriptions. When they are ready to order, they often need to wait minutes for the waiter or waitress to come back to take their order, and then they would have to trust that the waiter took their order correctly. Often the time between when the order is taken and when the food arrives can be boring, especially for young children.
The wait staff can also struggle through the ordering process. They have to write down the orders, sometimes penciling in several changes when the customer can't make up their minds. They can also be very heavily bogged on, especially during lunch hours, leaving the customers less than happy with the wait.
Here's where OpenMenu comes in. The traditional menu will be replaced by a touch-screen device with an interactive digital menu. With it, customers can quickly browse items by type, price, or even calories. Orders can be sent in when the customer is ready, making the decision easy and when the customer is ready. While waiting for the food to arrive, the customer will also be able to entertain themselves with built-in games or browse the web. The wait staff will also benefit. They will have more time to serve the customers during their meals, which may lead to more tips. With OpenMenu, eating out is simplified.