If Internet has changed something completely it is the idea of eating out. In the days before the internet, you had to rely on the occasional food reviews or go by peer group recommendations.
The internet has changed all that. A flurry of food blogs, foodie groups on Facebook and Twitter and the rise of platforms such as Zomato, Justeat and Foodpanda has ensured that eating out is no longer the simple thing it was a decade ago.
How has the Internet influenced footfalls in restaurants and eateries? Has it ensured that smaller outlets have emerged more popular thanks to the constant mention on social media sites? Does one trust first person accounts more than food blogs?
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Self-confessed foodie and IT analyst Sikander Bhat explains, “I look for online reviews and blogs for not only finding more about restaurants, but discovering lesser known facets of cooking and recipes. The internet and the blogosphere have converted me from being a person who likes food to someone who enjoys cooking. I cook something I like online. The multitude of food photography pages online helps in my interest as well. ”
He has a word of caution though, “I do not look much into reviews posted online. I find that big restaurants often get a lot of flak for a single bad experience. It is also difficult to corroborate the accounts.”
Pattada Nanaiah, who is in software, is not very happy with online bloggers and would much rather follow first person accounts. “It is mainly because many food blogs are created on an impulse, the writing is not up to the mark and the research is abysmal. It teaches me nothing new. On the other hand, I would go to a restaurant based on the account of a person who talks more about the food and the specifics, rather than one bad review based on a singular bad experience alone.”
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Shyam Madhavan, analyst agrees, “I look for reviews online and on platforms like the Bangalore Foodies group on Facebook to get information about a place I am keen to try out. I do not trust food blogs much.”
The spurt of reviews online has helped Suraj, who runs a momo outlet on the Kamanhalli main road. “I have seen my business boom after someone wrote about me on an online food forum. I feel that smaller outlets like mine are served well by online reviews, rather than bigger restaurants. I do many deliveries when people call me after seeing my photo on the net.”
He explains, “For a high profile hotel you would much rather post about a bad experience than a good one. For us, we get noticed and written about when a customer enjoys the food. I feel that helps small outlets like ours tremendously.”
Prakash K.P. advocates following online sites and reviews, but advices caution. “Occasionally, a restaurant is lambasted online because one person has a bad experience and rants about it online. As a ripple effect, you suddenly see a spurt of negative reviews about the place. I find that such a trend is not very healthy. I read food blogs because some really good ones such as @saffrontrail provide recipes and have posts that are well researched and make a lot of sense.”
He adds, “The good side of online food forums is that it has made the space more democratic. Small outlets in VV Puram, meat stalls on Mosque road and popular street food garner as much attention as a meal at a five star hotel. I think that is a very healthy development. I think this trend will continue. ”