Get A Meal Free For Sharing Your Info With This Company

Customer data has grown increasingly useful to hospitality organizations in recent years, including anything from your date of birth to how you enjoyed a certain dish to your propensity to spend.

Twenty-five-year-old Prathamesh Rakshe, a Pune-based DJ, was surprised when a restaurant chain asked him to complete a survey if he wanted a free meal. “I was asked to enter my name, address, phone number (with OTP verification), and my date of birth, after which the survey asked a few questions about my dining habits,” he says, adding, “I had to even enter whether I drink alcohol or smoke regularly.”

Niharika Seth, a 28-year-old Mumbai-based IT professional had a strange experience when she was in Goa. She received an SMS from an eatery, welcoming her to the city. “Although I visit this particular eatery in Mumbai regularly, how did they know that I was traveling?” she wonders.

The goal of data collection, according to restaurateurs, is to provide their customers with an “unforgettable” eating experience. The Covid pandemic is another explanation. Juliette and Yazu, both located in Mumbai, constantly gather consumer information to improve the experience for guests.

 “Imagine arriving into your favorite restaurant and having your favorite seat ready for you, with the waiter bringing you your favorite meal and drinks,” says Atul Chopra, co-owner of Juliette. To ensure a fantastic dining experience, Maai, a fine dining restaurant in Goa, even keeps the names of its clients’ favorite servers.

An independent cybersecurity analyst argues that although promotional communications from restaurants can be permitted, things get problematic if establishments engage in data broking or become victims of data breaches. He also reminds out that using free restaurant WiFi involves the exchange of personal information.