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The seismic shift in consumer behavior brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic has changed Americans’ attitudes toward work, school and shopping; but their appetite for dining out remains.

In a survey conducted by PYMNTS, consumers listed restaurants as the second-most commonly cited reason they wanted to leave their homes. Restaurants were also ranked third in what those surveyed deemed the “most important” reason, just behind seeing family and friends and returning to work.

While consumers want to return to normal activities, they need to feel safe in doing so. Last week, Paytronix launched Contactless Dining, a new platform for engaging guests on-premise while maintaining a safe social distance.

The trend toward contactless dining options, while in its infancy, already has a strong foothold in the market: […]

Moody Street in Waltham has long been a key restaurant destination for the Boston area. The storefronts are packed with eateries, most smaller but a few chains as well. In response to the pandemic, the City of Waltham shut down Moody Street to cars and gave it over to the restaurants, turning it into a pedestrian-only boulevard with outdoor seating.

The response has been nothing less than spectacular, […]

McDonald’s sets the standard for technology in the restaurant industry. The list of innovations the company brought is long, and that innovative spirit is a big reason why McDonald’s remains the leader in the quick-serve world.

Even before the pandemic hit, McDonald’s had developed a strong mobile ordering process through its Order & Pay mobile app that acted as a great launching point as the company moved into a contactless future. Better than most companies, McDonald’s knows that a contactless dining experience is key to alleviating consumer fears of returning to restaurants.

The McDonald’s app leverages the brand’s existing drive-thru operations as well as mobile payment options to ensure guests feel safe about dining with McDonald’s. The restaurant trade publication Nation’s Restaurant News reports these findings from a recent survey from AlixPartners in an article “Off-premise: The rise of contactless ordering and curbside pickup amid COVID-19 offer keys to survival”:

• “43% of consumers said drive-thru is the most preferred method for ordering restaurant food during the pandemic.
• “Takeout and curbside pickup is preferred by 33%. Third-party delivery was the least popular, as most say they’d rather order directly from a chain.”

Available for download at the AppStore and GooglePay, McDonald’s Order & Pay provides customers with a contactless experience for both Drive-Thru and Curbside pickup. Once the Order & Pay App has been downloaded and the guest is registered with the program, the app uses geolocation technology to help identify a participating restaurant nearby. […]