Waiter? There’s an iPad in My Soup!
Posted by Warren Rojas / Friday, March 11th, 2011
(Image: Meshelle Armstrong)
Perky Myriad font on the Apple website cheerfully describes how the advent of the iPad2, with its dual cameras and dual processors, will allow us to integrate office documents and make gorgeous, intuitive business presentations and …
Zzzzzzzzz ….
Ooops. I fell asleep thinking about all of this boring business duality.
If Apple really wants to get my—I mean our—attention with today’s iPad2 roll out, may I humbly suggest shoving all the tedious business talk down the disposal and do what Apple does best: yack about fun stuff.
Like getting messy in the kitchen.
And that’s not just my personal bias talking.
Gastronauts who enjoy their comestibles with a side of technology are fast becoming a demographic of which techies should take stock. The National Restaurant Association’s 2011 Industry Forecast indicates that food-focused consumers tend to be more technologically savvy, and that frequent restaurant customers are more likely than the general public to use various forms of technology on a daily basis. The report states, “81 percent of frequent full-service and quick-service customers, and 77 percent of frequent off-premises dinner customers said they frequently used the Internet, compared with 72 percent of all adults.” The same survey also states that 13 percent of restaurant customers use mobile apps compared to 8 percent of the general public.
And it’s not just consumers who live at the intersection of mobile technology and gastronomy.
Culinary professionals from food writers and publishers to restaurateurs and chefs have long been niche users of mobile and interactive technologies that are the cornerstone of devices like the iPhone and the iPad.
Lorena Jones, publishing director at San Francisco-based Chronicle Books, is responsible for digital initiatives in her publisher’s food and drink portfolio.
“We have long believed that many of the authors we work with have a depth of knowledge that is not entirely captured in a 3-D book,” Jones related. “Food is a category that just lends itself to visual stimulation and interactive engagement.”
And even though the model has yet to be fully tested, the potential for revenue from apps on tablet devices to breathe life into a sickly print publishing industry also makes the interactivity and mobility of tablets and smart phones appealing as a complement to offline ventures. “We’re highly motivated to generate another revenue source for our authors,” Jones said of the growing e-publishing realm.
Chef and restaurateur Cathal Armstrong (pictured above) has been a devotee of Apple products for years, and was a quick adopter of the iPad when it debuted.
“It’s a powerful tool that’s fun to use,” Armstrong said, estimating that his iPad has become as indispensable as a loyal and capable sous chef. Unlike outdated desktop computers, the web-ready tablet moves WITH Armstrong—an invaluable feature for a leader who often finds himself juggling supplier calls, customer-related queries from employees and general back-of-house issues, all while in the middle of choreographing his award-winning dinner service.
“We’re always connected,” Armstrong said of his ability to reach general manager Todd Thrasher or his wife/business partner Meshelle Armstrong on their own iPads with just a few keystrokes. “If we have a guest that loses something we need to be able to communicate with each other 24/7. That’s just part of the service if you want to work in a four-star restaurant.”
Multi-platform food scribe Michael Ruhlman sees a lot of potential in devices like the iPad, not only as a practical cooking tool, but also as a community builder.
“Devices like the iPad aren’t changing the way people cook yet, but I think that the iPad and the tablet devices that follow it are going revolutionize cooking, Ruhlman suggested. “And I want be a part of it.”
Ruhlman has been not only a very early adopter of this technology, but also a producer. Ruhlman’s Ratio app, a digital companion to his book, has been downloaded at least 8,000 times ($4.99 on iTunes).
“I get great feedback from people who use [my app] all the time. People often tweet that they are using Ratio for pancakes this morning or whatever,” he said. “I see a lot more interesting stuff happening. I see a way that cooks can share their experiences with one another, a way to keep a sort of a running diary on what they’re doing. All kinds of things are possible and we’re just now discovering the potential. I mean, it just started and the possibilities are, at least now, they feel endless.”
Endless possibilities, indeed.
Like, instead of a dual camera, I would settle for just one camera–AND a device that wouldn’t fall victim to cookie dough smudges or cake batter mishaps.
Are you listening, Apple?
–Amy Loeffler
Tags: Amy Loeffler, Apple, Cathal Armstrong, Chronicle Books, cooking, e-publishing, food, Gut Check, iPad2, iTunes, Lorena Jones, Michael Ruhlman, new media, Northern Virginia Magazine, Ratio, Restaurant Eve, technology