“Surprise and Delight “initiatives are cropping up around the nation. Restaurants that want to add more value to their business are adding in small unexpected services to bring improve the customer’s dining experience. These small additions to the regular business model help customers to feel valued, appreciated and that they are getting the full value of the money they are paying.

Some restaurants are using traditional methods to impress their customers, such as Ruby Tuesday’s decision to shake martini’s directly at the customers table. Other traditional methods include having waiters add fresh grated parmesan cheese and pepper directly at the customers table, or making it possible for customers to draw directly on the table.

More technologically driven restaurants are making use of digital technologies and the new iPad platform to increase customer satisfaction. New applications such as the iPad Menu or eMenu provide customers with the chance to preview offerings in several languages. These offerings include a picture, text description and a way to select the item directly from the device. This improves ordering time and accuracy. The new Digital Menu is another option to bring technology into the restaurant. A Digital Menu allows managers to easily update menu boards without requiring employees to draw or replace marquees.