The Experience Paradox

“I just don’t understand,” the restaurant owner lamented as we discussed a recent customer incident. “He said he was excited to finally be able to eat inside again . . . and then five minutes later, he storms out because we can’t seat him right away. Doesn’t he realize how short staffed we are?!”

It’s a dilemma vexing restaurants across the country. On the one hand, consumers are craving unique human experiences with food more than ever before. Two years of COVID restrictions have reminded all of us just how important in-person dining is to our daily lives. 

On the other, consumer expectations for those experiences have never been greater—we want quality food that is fast, cheap, and customized to our every need. 

I call it the “experience paradox.” What’s going on and how can restaurants respond? 

It’s important to understand that while COVID intensified consumer expectations, these trendlines were well underway. We can thank companies like Amazon for…