# Technology is Helping Restaurants During a Labor Shortage. Do Patrons Feel the Same?

Published 2021-09-21 · Updated 2026-07-23 · Food & Beverage on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/food-beverage/technology-is-helping-restaurants-during-a-labor-shortage-do-patrons-feel-the-same

> As customers, we’ve all grown accustom to using QR codes to pull up digital menus on our devices, and that doesn’t look to be going away with an emphasis on touchless experiences. Does this necessarily mean patrons are embracing all restaurant ordering alternatives, like tableside tablets for ordering and touch screen kiosks? A recent…

As customers, we’ve all grown accustom to using QR codes to pull up digital menus on our devices, and that doesn’t look to be going away with an emphasis on touchless experiences. Does this necessarily mean patrons are embracing all restaurant ordering alternatives, like tableside tablets for ordering and touch screen kiosks?

A [recent JLL survey](https://bigredrooster.com/essential-workers/) found that diners have a strong preference to engage with staff over technology. But with [increasing wages](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/20/dining/restaurant-wages.html), increasing operational costs, and a [continued labor shortage](https://marketscale.com/industries/business-services/as-unemployment-benefits-expire-how-can-businesses-bring-workers-back/), how sustainable is it to rely on person-to-person communication to elevate the in-restauran experience?

We pinged the host of [The Main Course](https://marketscale.com/shows/the-main-course/), [Barbara Castiglia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-jarvie-castiglia-072ba02/), on how restaurants can make patrons feel better about using technology to enhance the dining experience.

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