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What fast casuals can learn from full-service brands about elevating customer experiences via AV tech

From walls of big-screen televisions at sports-focused establishments to touchscreen tabletops, entertainment control systems and immersive audio fast casual dining establishments will stay relevant by the creative and intelligent use of audiovisual technology.

One of the latest innovations brought to Yard House by No Static Pro Audio was the addition of ScreenPlay Entertainment, which is noted for its massive licensed music and music video library that can be administered remotely.

November 29, 2018

By Brad Grimes,senior director of communications, AVIXA

Modern audiovisual technologies offer fast casual restaurateurs new ways to entice customers and differentiate their dining experiences, while also easing the workload of employees. From walls of big-screen televisions at sports-focused establishments to touchscreen tabletops, entertainment control systems and immersive audio fast casual dining establishments will stay relevant by the creative and intelligent use of audiovisual technology.

Bringing sports to life

Buffalo Wild Wings is legendary for its ability to attract sports enthusiasts, and its continued success relies on customers feeling that they get a better experience compared to other sports bars. According to Stephen Sullivan, president of the Antsul Group, which operates eight Buffalo Wild Wings locations in New Jersey, the wings themselves are only part of the reason people keep coming back.

"Compelling AV is the main attraction," Sullivan said. "We're not only competing with every other bar that has Monday Night Football or a UFC match-up, we're also competing with watching the game at home. We have to offer bigger sound and better picture quality than our competition, as well as that which can be found at home. We sell buffalo wings, but we also offer a unique audiovisual experience."

Each location offers patrons 50 to 75 big-screen HDTVs showing roughly a dozen different television feeds; 40 or more ceiling-mounted speakers and subwoofers; and special tabletop speakers that allow guests to choose which audio feed they hear at their table. The restaurant's personalized experience, combined with the sheer volume of entertainment options, encourages people to become regular customers. 

A crucial component of the locations' success is that staff can quickly and easily make changes, such as adjusting volume or channels the moment a customer makes a request. To do so, all eight locations feature a control system that manages every television, every speaker, and — at select locations — also integrates the building's lighting and surveillance systems for remote management. With the control system's mobile app, it takes staff mere seconds to select any television, speaker or lighting zone and make the appropriate adjustments.

While Buffalo Wild Wings' sports-filled atmosphere necessitates a focus on audio and video, establishments less reliant on sports fans can use superior audio to entice customers and elevate the dining experience.

The bar with concert quality audio 

The Yard House boasts "the world's largest collection of draft beer," featuring more than 100 taps at each location, along with more than 100 food items on the menu. Before it became a nationwide success, the original Long Beach, California, location thrived by highlighting a concert-quality audio system delivering classic rock playlists. After a fortuitous meeting with Eugene Gordon, founder of AV integration firm No Static Pro Audio, the focus on top-quality audio and video became an enduring feature of the brand that continues, successfully, to this day.

"Top-notch sound and video equipment has always been a priority at Yard House, which is rare in a market segment where AV is usually one of the last things considered and budgeted," said Gordon. "It's really a high-end quality sound that's unheard of in restaurants."

One of the latest innovations brought to Yard House by No Static Pro Audio was the addition of ScreenPlay Entertainment, which is noted for its massive licensed music and music video library that can be administered remotely. Yard House has already been playing ScreenPlay's music videos at all the newer locations — and moving forward Screenplay Entertainment will be the new standard for audio playback and late-night music videos to keep up with Yard House's ever-evolving demographic.

These examples show that chains with large footprints are using audio and video to increase patronage and repeat business, but smaller, single-location establishments are getting in on the AV action as well. And that includes fast casual brands.

Now for something completely different

To experience great audiovisual technology integration in a non-chain environment, look no further than Graffiti Market in Kitchener, Ontario. Where other restaurants dazzle with big screens and loud music, the experience at Graffiti Market is truly interactive, providing diners an entirely new way to eat and shop with integrated Internet-of-Things and AV technology. 

In 2018, Graffiti Market became the first restaurant in North America to utilize interactive smart tables, giving patrons a digital ordering option that also provides games and interactive views of the food and drinks they will consume. The tables feature tempered scratch-resistant glass, 4K resolution and multi-touch capability for cooperative interactions. The restaurant specializes in Detroit-style pizza, house-made pastas and rotisserie chicken, in addition to offering a grocery store, bakery, coffee roaster and microbrewery. 

"Just doing some travel around New York and Toronto and various places, it was [apparent] that today's society wants convenience, so being able to come in and dine and on your way out you can grab a hot meal for the next day, a pre-packaged meal that's cold, a six-pack of beer, kind of a one-stop shop," said owner Lloyd-Craig. "You can order online, you can order from the table, sitting there eating dinner, you can order your groceries, you can pick them up on your way out the door."

Part of Graffiti Market's emphasis on technology stems from its clientele and location in Ontario's Waterloo Region, which was described by Inc. Magazine as "the densest collection of tech startups outside of Silicon Valley". In fact, the city's newest innovation hub just launched at the new Catalyst 137 building, a 475,000-square-foot  warehouse designed to be "the world's largest IoT manufacturing space". With customers make a career of creating the next big tech innovations, it was vital to incorporate interactivity in the restaurant.

As fast casual dining continues to grow and satisfy the appetites of an increasingly tech-based clientele, offering unique and captivating audiovisual experiences can help owners differentiate and develop brand loyalty. Whether it's high-definition sports, concert-quality music or novel approaches to ordering and shopping, AV technologies help restaurateurs succeed.

Photo: Yard House