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iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery

By | August 10, 2011, 10:00am PDT

Summary: We’ve seen iPads being used by teachers, pilots and doctors, but what about restaurants? An Atlanta eatery has adopted the iPad to replace menus (and more) at their high-tech restaurant.

Proprietors Christian and Nacasha Ruffin are using iPads to revolutionize their Atlanta restaurant Do Restaurant at The View. Patrons use an iPad to place orders in real-time (in lieu of traditional menus) for everything from drinks to desserts, eliminating the need to wait for a server.

The restaurant also uses iPads to control a series of projectors that display the moving art projected onto the restaurant’s walls and a custom back-of-the-house app tracks sales hourly allowing the Ruffins to forecast and purchase raw goods more accurately. Customers can even use the iPad to tell the valet when they’re ready for their car.

Now that’s what I call a creative use for an iPad.

Video: CNN via Anthony Paladino

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Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

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Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

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Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
b_81 9th Nov
I LOVE the combining of food and technology! It upgrades the entire dining experience to a whole new level!
Today everybody use smart phones and ipads and it will be easy for people to browse through this kind of menu...
If you are looking for a well tested and widely used system ??? with hundreds of installations around the world ???you should take a look at "Conceptic's" products...
View in thread
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Whatever
davebarnes 10th Aug
How are the food and service?
Not very good according the reviews on Yelp.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
tonymcs@... 10th Aug
@davebarnes

The funniest thing is reading their puffery - "a powder room with no mirrors"

Of course they don't need mirrors in their outside eating areas - the iPads will provide that - pity they won't function as anything else in sunlight wink
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
Droid101 10th Aug
Microsoft Surface restaurants are much snazzier.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
Return_of_the_jedi Updated - 10th Aug
Just imagine all the germs being transmitted via the iPad.

PS. Are hand sanitizers part of their condiments?
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No more different than a normal menu
wackoae 10th Aug
@Return_of_the_jedi So what's your point?
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There is a difference, even if "minor"..
adornoe@... 11th Aug
An iPad requires that you "touch" the screen, and to sometimes "slide" your fingers across it, which creates the situation for picking up more germs/bacteria than a paper menu which you hold by the edges. Yeah, you'll still be picking up germs from the paper menu, but not in the same quantity.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
Tigertank 15th Aug
@adornoe

Huh? if you are holding a menu then you re probably holding it in the same place everyone else before you has. Just like the door handle you touch walking into the restaurant.
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ROTFL
Laraine Anne Barker 11th Aug
Germs can be transmitted just as easily via the usual type of menu.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
LoverockDavidson 10th Aug
Can't wait to see the ROI on this one. A few cents for a paper menu vs. $600 for an iPad.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
jhuddle 10th Aug
@LoverockDavidson Menus are acctually quite expensive, plus the labor savings. The ROI on this is better than one would think. When you take into consideration the additional information, the iPad can provide the guest, like allergy, and nutritional there is added value which should be factored in as well. The iPad can also be programmed to upsell items better than humans, again adding into the ROI. LR why must you always spout off about things you have no knowledge of.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
facebook@... 10th Aug
@jhuddle and your ROI goes back to bad when you factor in theft and breakage. Although menus are more than a few cents, they can take a tumble off of a table fairly well.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
Fletchguy 10th Aug
@jhuddle
Not sure if you have ever ordered print menus before but your way off.basic math shows that 200 menus will run you about $500 designed printed an,d delivered. 200 ipads at $600 is $120,000. You must be doing Obama math. Now figure in cost of extra electricity, time to sanitize and clean the ipads after each customer, cost of sanitizers to do so, programing and web design fees,repair costs as these things are very fragile I repair tons of apple garbage each week for my business. You make angry suggestions at the other commentor then come out of LALA land with garbage and make yourself look like a moron. basic math and business skills show this is not a good idea unless they are cutting corners and not being sanatary. You say all the extar info they add like other restaraunt addresses, porn, stolen credit card info and lets not forget the cost of wi fi.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
LoverockDavidson 10th Aug
@jhuddle
I spout off because I do have knowledge which I have demonstrated over and over again. You haven't shown me anything that says the ROI is better. Nutrition can be printed on the back, allergy info is almost always printed next to the menu items. There is no way to upsell through an iPad. How can I ask the iPad how that pumpkin pie tastes, or if it was frozen or freshly made, or does it contain nutmeg? Again, a paper menu is the winner here. This restaurant is going to lose money on those iPads. You shouldn't try to counter what I'm saying when you know I'm right.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
jhuddle 10th Aug
@jhuddle Not what we are seeing so far in the industry. The return is not in the cost of the menus it is in the things I mentioned so even factoring in theft and breaking it still bring value. It does not work in all restaurants, but for some it does.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
pazmanpro 11th Aug
@jhuddle, @LoverockDavidson

LD is right, ROI would be hard to prove over the printed menus. My guess is that the restaurant wants to improve the customer experience so that they may be able to charge higher prices. This would help if the food is good (previous comments cast some doubt on that).

I think that this is a concept worth exploring though and will be worthwhile in determining whether there are improvements in the ordering of food, ordering of supplies or the servicing of tables, and if those improvements outweigh the costs of the tablet investment.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
aiellenon 12th Aug
@jhuddle

one thing I did not notice anyone mention, the article never said they were using iPad2 devices, you can get a used iPad1 pretty cheap, knocking the cost per unit down from "$600" to $150 making a huge decrease in costs. Additionally if they were already using a custom back of house app to run things, it would have made sense and cost less to integrate a menu app for the front of the house. not to mention they basically axed waiters out of the entire establishment and only need servers (food delivery people) and bussers (since the servers don't have to be waiters, they can easily double as bussers), no need to order paper order pads, if 90% of the users pay through the iPad with a credit card, then you cut register time and expenses also. you will also increase guest turnover as there is no delay or forgetfulness factor from the waiter taking the order until it gets to the kitchen, also eliminating waiter errors at the same time. The real ROI can only be shown by taking 2 locations of identical size and layout of the same restaurant in similar demographic areas and run one with and one without tablets at the same time and providing a complete break down of all expenses from opening day until 1 year later.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
non-biased Updated - 15th Aug
@Fletchguy ...make yourself look like a moron.
Pot meet kettle. You pretty much do that with every post you make regarding Apple products, this post is no different. A restaurant of the calibar that I would guess this one is based on the info provided couldn't even dream of purchasing 200 menus for $500. Of course then you have to inflate the price of the iPad by $100 (or more if they went refurbed) just to try to backup you FUD. You obviously don't know anything about printing cost or apparently high end restaurants. You also make the assumption that they need 200 iPads, did I miss where the quantity needed was mentioned in the article. Maybe they only have on iPad per table, do you know how many tables they have? Of course once again you include your complete gibberish about them being extremely fragile and how you repair so much Apple equipment.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
jhuddle 10th Aug
@LoverockDavidson There are labor savings, better up selling, which we are seeing. Not only can the menu have all the ingredients listed including nutmeg, and the fact that it is fresh, but it can have a link to an interview with the organic farmer who grew the pumpkin. You really have no clue what you are talking about do you? The point is this replaces more than a paper menu. It replaces the POS, some labor, and menus. Keep the blinders on, it's working well for you.
@fletchguy That's a cheap paper menu printing. You're not even in the ballpark for a quality laminated multicolored menu. Additionally, menus are printed more than once a year, so over the the course of three years at four printings a year, you are off by a factor of twelve. Also if you printed 200 paper menus you are talking about a 50 table restaurant, given that paper menus need to be replaced as they tare and get wet. So you would not need anywhere near 200 iPads, more like 40 to 60. Still a lot, and a hefty investment. But considering it also replaces the POS, it's getting into the same ballpark. Laminated menu will get wiped down by the hosts during thier down time, so I see no incremental cost for the iPads to be wiped down. As for he porn, Internet, etc. the devices are locked down, so there is no issue with that. restaurants already have to deal with credit card data, which is increasing not stored in the pos, it is sent encrypted to the credit card processor.
Again this does not make sense for everyone, for some it does. The restaraunt is buying a POS anyway, and this replaces the POS, menus, and some labor. There is some ROI here for some operations.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
ConstableOdo 10th Aug
@LoverockDavidson
Must be miserable to be caught up in all that negativity. The whole idea of new tech is to replace paper with electronic devices. With people such as yourself, it's going to be a lot harder to leave the past behind. I'm trying to figure whether you're saying that they shouldn't be using electronic touch devices or that they shouldn't be using iPads to replace paper.

If they can serve more customers in a shorter time and the customers enjoy using those devices, then I think the restaurant is wise in moving forward. They're the ones footing the iPad bill, not you and they seem to think the iPad usage is justified. That should be sufficient enough. Either way, in a short time span, iPads are going to be replacing paper and a lot of other devices whether you agree with it or not.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
jhuddle 10th Aug
@LoverockDavidson Per the norm, once Loverrock's opinions are debunked with facts he is not heard from again.
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Actually, LD, does have a point...
adornoe@... 11th Aug
The ROI will take much longer than if the restaurant went with printed menus.

Then, if there is a monthly charge for wi-fi or 3g/4g for each device, then the ROI will never be realized, and the only way to recoup those costs would be through higher meal prices.

I like the idea about replacing old ideas with new ideas and new technology, but sometimes, the whole scheme is just "gimmicky", intended to attract customers. It may work in the beginning with more people coming for the "new experience", but eventually they catch on to the higher prices and won't be frequenting the restaurant as much as they owner had hoped.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
jhuddle 11th Aug
@jhuddle The cost of wifi is so small for most restaurants, 3 maybe 4 access points maybe $500. Not even worth talking about. The point is that it is not about paper v. iPad it's the entire solution.
The iPad will upsell better than most servers will. If I want a second beer but I can't find my waiter, I don't order the beer the sale is lost. On the other hand if I can just push the pretty picture of a bud on the iPad, the restaurant captures a the lost sale. Same for desert, only the best servers sell desert, the iPad can offer it through suggestive selling. Liquor and beer have high profit margins. The ROI is not in replacing paper menus.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
dheady@... 10th Aug
In lieu of a snide comment I say kudos to the restaurant for a no brainer use of the iPad. I wonder if one is able to surf the net while at the table waiting for dinner. I often take my iPad to a restaurant, downloading my news reading for the day before heading out, just in case the restaurant is luddite enough to not be a wifi hotspot.
I've never seen a Microsoft Surface restaurant though I suspect eating on the surface of it might confuse the OS into thinking you want more fish. As for germs, certainly menus are a hotbed of hand off germs, the iPad would probably be no exception. Though I wonder how many ordinary menus have an oleophobic cover and an aluminum (anti bacterial) other cover. Nor could you play angry birds while waiting for the waiter to return with your beverage.
There are too many applications to list here for the iPad (and any other pad computer that comes close...no? not yet?)
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Not exactly new
Flubnut 10th Aug
Chicago Cut steakhouse has used iPads for their wine list since it opened last fall.
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Using your example .....
wackoae 10th Aug
@Flubnut .... they can keep that wine list UP-TO-DATE and be able to add/remove items from the list as the "inventory" changes.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
non-biased 15th Aug
@wackoae This works very wll for restuarants such as Season's 52 as well where their menu changes every season let alone if there are other changes needed during the season.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
Nate_K 10th Aug
We are currently testing an ipad/iphone POS for our restaurants. POSlavu is what we are testing. Great potential here. Especially when customers ask about a particular item on the menu, great thing is, servers can now show them a picture of the real item instead of trying to explain it.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
thelk@... 10th Aug
A restaurant in my area is also using Ipads to replace menus and for ordering. The restaurant is called STACKED http://stacked.com/.
The food is decent, nothing outstanding. Service is not to bad. They also use the Ipad for the wait list and it is broadcast on a TV screen in the lobby, although there is no actual wait times listed by each partys name. its an interesting concept. My wife commented like some others about the needing hand sanatizer after seeing all of the finger print smears and other small particles of food on the screen.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
ColDave 10th Aug
Leave it to haters to hate on a great idea. Some people have nothing better to do.
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So a couple restaurants tried this a few years ago
William Farrell 10th Aug
it was "a curiosity", or not practicle, yet use an iPad and it's revolutionary?
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Difference .... previous products were garbage
wackoae Updated - 10th Aug
@William Farrell the iPad has a very solid ecosystem and actually a very low cost of entry. Previous products were 100% custom build system with a ridiculously high cost of entry .... with zero guarantee that it would work.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
AdnanPirota 10th Aug
Some people are easy to corrupt (wonder how much money Apple gave to them?!)
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Good point...
adornoe@... 11th Aug
Apple is probably involved, using the restaurants as a sales front in order to attract more buyers into making their own purchases. There is nothing like actually experiencing, first hand, what a device is like. That's what retail stores do to attract buyers, and Apple might just be extending their demonstration outlets by using places such as restaurant. If they can sell a few million of the devices by placing a few thousand in restaurants and other such places, then it would be very much worth it to Apple to just be "giving" them to those "stores".
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
Tigertank 16th Aug
@AdnanPirota
What exactly is corrupt about using an iPad as a menu?
You really think Apple needs to pay people to use the iPad- one of its best selling and most profitable products ever?!

Your blind hatred is making you appear foolish.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
rick@... 10th Aug
I have to wonder how many iPads will get dropped, broken, spilled on, or stolen?

Rick
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Never under-estimate the lowest-common denominator response
rroberto18 10th Aug
@rick@...
And I have to wonder how crushed the servers feel when the boss takes the cost of stolen/broken iPads out of their already meager paychecks? How long will it take before a parade of thieves who have no intention of eating there just come in to take an iPad while the server's in the kitchen picking up real patrons' food? I expect to read about organized rip-offs planned in advance on Twitter and Facebook any day now.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
non-biased 15th Aug
@rroberto18 If the restaurant is high end enough to use the iPad instead of menus the servers aren't making "meager paychecks" but you are also jumping to the conclusion that they would have to cover damaged/stolen units. I would assume they have some form of tracking added just as RFID and with iOS 5 there are proximity alert would would allow for an alarm to go off if it gets to the front door.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
Tigertank 16th Aug
@rick@...

Depends how they are utilized. I couldn't figure out if they are just passed out like traditional menus or at an ordering station, or perhaps there is only one at each table (very likely.)
Judging from the photos from the website, it looks very loungy with sofas and large modern coffee tables instead of cramped messy tables.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
jmwells21 10th Aug
Yet another way to create more unemployment... go capitalism?
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How does it create unemployment?
adornoe@... Updated - 11th Aug
As far as I can tell, there will still be "servers" bringing out the food to the customers. Unless, of course, the servers are also replaced by robots which have enough intelligence to correctly distribute the orders to those that placed the orders. Hey, I might have just given away an idea for free. I'm sure if it's not already done, somebody will do it.

Now, those robots and or iPads that replaced the servers, will there be a need to design them, and to make them and to service them and to sell them? Those are jobs too.

As far as I know, the cooks in the kitchen and the owners and managers, will still be needed and will remain employed.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
tech_ed@... 10th Aug
Wow...now I know where *NOT* to eat!
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
non-biased 15th Aug
@tech_ed@... Good for you, I am sure they will really care.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
dankasnitzel 10th Aug
Saigon Surface in Omaha, NE has been doing this for months.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
astromacman 10th Aug
"Oh, pardon me waiter. I'd like to take home one of the menus, please. I can use it for take-out and to get ready for our next dining visit."
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Simple answer: "Here is our business card with the URL"
wackoae 10th Aug
@astromacman nt
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
non-biased 15th Aug
@wackoae They could have a feature in their proprietary app that would allow the customer to enter their email address be sent a PDF copy of the menu as well as sign up for specials to be sent to them.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
dragonflynda 10th Aug
I tested an application like this for a restaurant chain and was asked to give my blunt opinion. I hate waiting for a server to take my order and then get it wrong. From a very young age, I said this type of thing should exist. Servers could give real customer service. The statistics I saw from some studies said that servers got better tips because they were able to focus on the service. As long as the children don't have access to it, it should work well.
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
rdowdy@... 10th Aug
@dragonflynda Dragon, I think you got this right. Dr. Prescriptions are going wireless why not menus? It would make ordering inventory a lot easier too. The iPad would work great for this.
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What about this idea? Order while you wait for a table
wackoae 10th Aug
@rdowdy@... Some restaurants have long wait time. What about ordering while you are waiting, then send the order to the kitchen the moment the table is assigned?

Customers still get fresh food, and that way there is a faster turn over of tables. Most people will not mind waiting ... because they know that they don't have to wait up to 30 more minutes (after sitting) to just make the order.
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Get a Life
dbourque@... 10th Aug
Get a life
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RE: iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery
b_81 9th Nov
I LOVE the combining of food and technology! It upgrades the entire dining experience to a whole new level!
Today everybody use smart phones and ipads and it will be easy for people to browse through this kind of menu...
If you are looking for a well tested and widely used system ??? with hundreds of installations around the world ???you should take a look at "Conceptic's" products...

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