Gen-Z diners don’t want to speak to waiters in restaurants and prefer to order and pay via mobile apps, cafe boss claims

According to a cafe owner, Gen Z guests do not want to talk to waiters in restaurants and order, and prefer to pay via mobile apps.

Tom James, managing director of the Bill’s chain, said an increasing number of younger customers no longer want to interact with waiters as they have “grown up” and only communicate via their phones and other devices.

To modernize restaurants and make them more attractive to Gen Z customers, the casual dining sector has recently implemented several technological improvements, including self-service kiosks and QR codes.

According to Mr James, in some locations, particularly in central London, more than 50 per cent of customers already choose to pay digitally.

He told The Times: ‘It’s definitely a way for a large portion of the market to eat out.

“It goes against hospitality and, as a kind of old-school hospitality veteran, it’s different. But we have to adapt.”

Tom James, managing director of the Bill’s chain, said that at some of the company’s locations, mainly in central London, more than 50 percent of customers already choose to pay digitally (stock image)

Self-service kiosks have been a regular feature in many restaurant chains, such as McDonalds and Leons, for a number of years now. Campaigners warn that older guests, who are more comfortable with face-to-face contact, could end up being excluded.

Mr James stressed that Bill’s would not lose its focus on traditional hospitality and emphasised that wait staff would remain available in restaurants for customers who wanted to do it the traditional way.

He also claimed that their self-service kiosks would be “much more subtle” than those in fast food chains, adding: “That personal interaction, creating that experience in a moment, is the most important thing for us in the business. But you have to offer the alternative now.”

Bill’s has also introduced a wider range of non-alcoholic beverages and cocktails to attract Gen-Z guests to its locations. A recent report found that 21 percent of people under 25 didn’t drink alcohol at all in the past year.

The tables and menus have also been updated to better align them with social media. A company, TikTok, has also been founded, which has led to ‘huge positive results’.

Mr James said: ‘The other side was that we were aware of how important social media is to Gen Z. We started again and looked at everything from tableware to how food looks on the plate, knowing that it’s not just about great food, it’s also about how it looks on social media channels.’

The restaurant owner also claimed that the number of reservations had increased over the past two years after the restaurant started using AI chatbots instead of human staff to take reservations.

Bill’s boss claimed that Gen Z guests don’t want to talk to waiters in restaurants and prefer to order and pay via mobile apps

In an effort to modernize its restaurants and appeal to Gen Z customers, Bill’s recently installed several technology upgrades, including self-service kiosks and QR codes

Self-service kiosks have been a regular feature in many restaurant chains for several years now, such as McDonalds (pictured).

Bill’s, currently owned by billionaire restaurant magnate Richard Caring, started out as a supermarket in Lewes, Sussex, named after founder Bill Collison.

Before the Covid pandemic, Bill’s struggled to attract guests and had to close dozens of locations in recent years after Carling admitted the brand had become “tired.”

Today, the company operates around 45 sites across the country and generated revenue of £92.6m in 2023, with those figures set to grow by 3.4 per cent in the first half of 2024, the company said this week.

Mr James said: ‘Part one was the rebranding and how we present ourselves, much more vibrant and colourful and aimed at families and Gen Z. Part two was just a very forensic approach to every price point.’

He also points out that many competitors imposed significant price increases on their customers during the cost of living crisis, while Bill’s barely raised its prices.

The company plans to open two new locations before the end of the year, in Milton Keynes and Street, Somerset.

This is in preparation for a wider expansion next year, which will see the traditional Bill’s restaurants combined with new café-bar style venues, with an emphasis on sharing dishes, cakes, pastries, coffee and draught beer rather than just dining.