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Food and Beverage Vendors Get Geared up for Contactless Menu Ordering.

Andy Robertson

As the world battles and copes with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic service companies have to adapt to new working practices. Some restrictions like measures to ensure social distancing are voluntary and some are mandatory. Part of the solution will be cashless payments and contactless ordering of food and drinks.


There are emerging technologies that can assist any food and beverage establishment to implement and comply with cashless payments and contactless ordering. The technologies available now can be used by fixed venue bars and restaurants and equally applied to mobile vendors attending music festivals in the future. 

Aside from the health and safety restrictions and measure that will be enforced there are multiple benefits to F&B establishments and user customers that come as a result of using these new technologies. The technology can be simple and quick to implement and can often be implemented without the need for an EPOS system or a dedicated App. Although some solutions available on the market can link to an EPOS system and some may require users to download an App there is a good choice and establishments can easily find the one most suitable for their requirements. In simple terms the easiest solutions just require a QR code (conveniently placed at a table for example) which the user scans to bring up a menu. The user selects the items they want to order and payment is made via their mobile device. The order is received (on a printout behind a bar for example) and is processed and delivered to the customer. The advantages of such a system are broad and varied for both F&B establishments and end user customers: 

Advantages for Food & Beverage Establishments and Vendors.

  • Simple implementation without the requirement for complex links to an existing EPOS system ensure rapid deployment and flexibility in building menu items.
  • Payment is made as the user orders via recognised cashless payment gateways reducing payment charges from traditional merchants.
  • Compliance with existing and potential social distancing requirements for contactless ordering and cashless payments.
  • Queuing to place orders is eliminated so orders can be processed faster and sales volumes can increase as a result.
  • Capture of customer data for future marketing promotions.
  • Flexibility in menus and pricing make it possible to package promotions and make time limited offers.
  • No requirement for expensive physically printed menus                  

Advantages for End User Customers 

  • Convenient order placing with no need to queue.
  • Limited contact with other people making the ordering process safer for those concerned with coronavirus infection.
  • Easy ordering process using their mobile device to select their order along with instant cashless payment.
  • No need to install an App. 

As the user customers get used to these technologies and the use by F&B establishments becomes more prevalent this process for ordering and payment will very likely be normal in 2021 as countries emerge form lockdowns. For music festivals taking place later in 2021 contactless ordering and cashless payments are likely to be standard practice and probably a mandatory requirement for all F&B vendors.

FestivalPro have just launched their own contactless ordering platform for F&B establishments and music festival vendors. This new platform can be used as a standalone solution or equally work as an integrated part of the FestivalPro system. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The FestivalPro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features for managing the entire live event including specific modules for artists, contractors, volunteers, vendors and ticketing.  

Photo by Jack Sparrow from Pexels

Andy Robertson
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