The widespread use of technology is always being extolled and there is always news about how the surging tide of technological advancement has swept the world. There is without a doubt that technology has revolutionized the world in every respect, from the field of IT, medicine, business, and education. You have the power to maneuver your creative and personal endeavors from the touch of your smartphone. Ease of access to everything is what technology is providing us. It’s fair to look at and question how technology is affecting the world of food and gastronomy.
Gone are the days when you had to rely solely on hearsay if you wanted to go out or couldn’t decide what to eat. One would always be in a pickle because getting to know about new places was entirely dependent on word of mouth. Things are very different now; technology has enabled us to categorize, customize and organize everything. There is wide dissemination of information since the world of communication, marketing and media have transformed tremendously. Moreover, with the advent of social media getting access to information is extremely easy and convenient.
Let us list down the factors which have revolutionized the culinary world:
Social Media
We greatly underestimate the power of social media and how it has changed the dynamics of communication, marketing and networking with a host of different people simultaneously dispersed all over the world. This has provided entrepreneurs a platform to target and gain a tangible audience for their businesses. There is a multitude of Facebook pages dedicated toRestaurants, Food franchises, Home Cooking businesses, etc. What this does is that it gives direct access to customers to engage and interact with the businesses instantly in real time. Same is the case with Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest where the audience is bombarded with the latest trends in food and cuisine, restaurants, confectionary items and so forth.
Moreover, there are specific platforms on social media particularly on Facebook where you have food forums like Foodicted, Pakistan Food Forum, Foodies are Us which are moot platforms for food connoisseurs and enthusiasts to interact, talk and post about food.It helps answer queries about ingredients, recipes and any food related information you want.
Facebook pages, social media (food forums, food blogs, dedicated food websites, etc) all exist now which provide you with any information you need. On these platforms, you have a confluence of ideas where you can talk about food and discuss with people of similar interests.
Online Food Vendors
Gone are the days when you could only eat from Desi Dhabas, Local Chinese restaurants or fast food joints. With the bourgeoning e-commerce industry, you now have a vast array of home food vendors, home catering services, food businesses and websites who sell their products like Burgers, pizzas, confectionary items, Thai, Chinese, Italian, and a whole lot of different cuisines. The internet and e-commerce has enabled people to try and experience new ways of approaching the simplest things in life, be it shopping or trying new cuisines.
Mobile Apps Used by Food Delivery Companies
The culinary world has evolved quite a bit, with smartphones being omnipresent and their wide usage. We have mobile Apps for everything these days. If you want food delivered to your place, you have online food delivery and logistics companies which do that. You can order anything from any restaurant of your choosing from just a mobile App and pay cash on delivery. Companies like Cheetay and Foodpanda.pk are major market players who do just that. Your mobile phone can now be your menu, your weather update center, movie listing and booking touch point, quick cooking tutorial video guide and so many more things.
Mobile Wallets Technology
There are online wallets that provide payment solutions like Finja.pk which facilitate payment not only with regards to food but for any online transaction. It’s fairly simple, you just have to add your bank details and pay via the smartphone application. Not only this, you have mobile apps that help us manage our weight and keep count of our calories, etc. Even bookstores like Readings have an online website where you can place your order only for it to be delivered at home.
Food Startups
There are scores of emerging start-ups that are revolutionizing the world of technology and with that entrepreneurs are venturing into the world of food. There are e-commerce start-ups like Sabzi.pk and Cart99.pk which deliver groceries and fresh vegetables to you with affordable prices. Most of these are vegetable, ingredients, fruits, etc which aren’t accessible to most customers like celery, fresh basil, asparagus, etc. There are home cuisine ventures, diet/healthy food providing vendors and so much more that ensure you get specifically what you desire and ask for.
