Abstract

The case “Dineout – Constantly Re-Imagining Restaurant Technology,” talks about the efforts of India-based restaurant technology company Dineout Services Pvt. Ltd. (Dineout) to provide innovative technology solutions in the restaurant industry. The case starts out by giving a glimpse into the struggles of Dineout that started out providing online restaurant discovery and table reservation solutions, in gaining a foothold in an industry that was not technology-savvy. Dineout’s ability to adapt itself as per the needs of the industry helped it eventually find success. The various offerings of the company in both the B2C and B2B spaces in the restaurant industry are documented. Dineout’s initiative to enhance its product profile by acquiring other companies with technical know-how is described. The case also explains how the rising prospects of the Indian restaurant industry were expected to create a strong future for Dineout. However, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered the restaurant industry, plunging it into losses. Responding to the changed environment, Dineout came out with a slew of new technology offerings. It remained to be seen if Dineout’s re-imagining of restaurant technology would work out in its favor.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Identify the role played by technology in re-imagining a service industry
• Analyze the process of introducing new technology offerings
• Scrutinize the process of adopting new technology offerings in a service industry
• Examine the strategies undertaken by a technology company to grow in a service industry
• Devise strategies to respond to dramatic changes in the external environment

Keywords

Restaurant Technology; Marketing Environment; Responding to the Environment; Technology Adoption; B2B Marketing; B2C Marketing; Acquisition Strategy; COVID-19; Growth Strategy; Promotional Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Information Technology; Service Industry; Segmentation; New Products