When restaurateurs evaluate whether to adopt technology-based service innovations, they must consider not only the costs and benefits of that technology, but also customers' reactions to the procedural changes accompanying the innovation. Technology that damages customer satisfaction may not be worthwhile, no matter how much it reduces labor costs. In this report we present the results of a national survey on customers' perceptions of eleven restaurant technologies, as well as whether respondents use those technologies and the value they see in them. Read more and download the full report.

At L'Ecole, the student-run restaurant at the French Culinary Institute in SoHo, they're mixing drinks with a light saber. Well, not really. But something close. Dave Arnold -- whose official title at the institute is director of culinary technology, though mad scientist in residence might be more accurate -- was behind the snug, window-front bar, playing with his newest toy. It sits at the corner of the zinc bar: a steel box with a digital temperature gauge, topped with a kind of metal holster. Resting in the holster is a 16-inch nickel-alloy rod -- the light saber -- that's wired, through its handle, to the box. Read more about the future (and past) of mixology.

A vending machine that bakes fresh pizza in minutes for a few euros has got Italian chefs in a whirl before it hits the streets in the coming weeks. The bright-red "Let's Pizza" machine uses infra-red rays and technology developed at the University of Bologna to knead flour and water into dough, spread it with tomato sauce and a choice of topping, and cook it - all in less than three minutes. Find out what has Italian pizza chefs up in arms.

Restaurant customers appreciate the convenience of being able to make restaurant reservations online, but they also like the personal touch of telephone reservations. This tradeoff between efficiency and service perceptions points to a strategy of offering reservations via both methods. Emphasizing the convenience of online reservations may encourage customers to use the website, and that will give restaurant operators more information about their customers. Whether a restaurant uses a third-party reservation service or builds its own website, one key to ensuring a successful reservations process is to make the electronic process as straightforward as possible. Learn more about what your guests think and download the study.