METRO : The Restaurant of the Future

Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) students present the ideal vision of the Restaurant of the future to METRO senior executives, with key findings to support the implementation of technology within restaurants, aiming to improve customer satisfaction, process efficiency and business development.

As part of EHL's Bachelor program in International Hotel Management, students get the opportunity to participate in a Student Business Project, providing consultancy solutions for real-life industry mandates. In this context, METRO mandated 6 last-year students to envision the model Restaurant of the future and provide concrete solutions to drive innovation and technological advancements in the restaurant sector, and more particularly for the independent restaurateurs.

Results were presented at EHL campus in Lausanne, in front of a delegation of METRO senior executives, including the CEO of METRO AG, Olaf Koch who stated: 'I was extremely satisfied with the results shown and even more impressed by the students who have worked them out. EHL and METRO, we both share the passion for the hospitality sector. EHL has created a huge momentum in the sector in the recent years. We as METRO need to support and advise our customers in how to stay competitive in the hospitality sector. In joining the academic and the practical part, we both realize profound mutual benefit '.

The student group presented the key characteristics of this Restaurant of the future, where technology is incorporated at each customer touch-point before, during and after the meal in order to answer restaurant-goers' growing expectations for digital experience and further engage with customers. Operational processes were thoroughly analyzed to offer restaurateurs guidance in improving efficiency and profitability thanks to technology tools.

Find out more about the Restaurant of the future on the EHL Blog.

'Innovation is a fundamental value at EHL. We are educating the future leaders of the hospitality industry and our goal is to encourage and nurture their innovative spirit to drive the industry forward, to think outside of the box and create new business opportunities for the future. We continuously work hand-in-hand with top industry partners in order to foresee the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and ensure that our graduates are well-armed to succeed' said Michel Rochat, CEO of EHL Group.