The importance of mobile and online services in the Portuguese restaurant industry : a current overview of restaurant search and online reservation platforms

Currently, restaurants in Portugal have at their disposal a set of mobile and online services designed with the purpose of increasing their promotion, refine their management and, ultimately, improve their performance. There are already many restaurants in the country taking advantage from these services, in particular restaurant search and online reservation platforms, to attract new customers and build customer loyalty. In order to have a better glimpse of the market outlook, a market research was conducted, analyzing which restaurant search and online reservation platforms exist in the country and what they offer to restaurants. In addition, interviews with restaurant managers were made, collecting a sample of opinions and data regarding the importance of these platforms in the restaurants’ business. From the analysis performed, it is clear that restaurant search and discovery platforms influence the promotion and management of the restaurants in the country. Regarding restaurant online reservation platforms, these have importance not only at the promotion and management levels but may also influence the revenue of establishments. However, the importance of these platforms varies depending on the type of restaurant it is – fast food, fast casual, casual dining or fine dining restaurant – and it can be either positive or negative