Stay Restaurant

[Luckjon]

Just for your information, from the end of May, Stay Restaurant are scrapping printed menus and going over totally to QR smartphone readers. If you don't have access/use of a smartphone you will be lent a tablet to browse and place your order.

 

[Sparky]

I much prefer to place my order with a walking, talking human. This is just too impersonal .

 

[Luckjon]

Sparky - this is the email I had from them. Although it doesn't explicitly say it, going digital refers to what is on menu and servers will still take your orders.


Dear Guests and friends,

We would like to inform you of the modifications that we are going to implement at the Stay restaurant before the end of May 2022.

Things have changed in the last few years, and if we want to keep up and have quick access to everyday fresh markets and local products from our suppliers, and make them available to our customers in a very short time, we have to adapt and change the way we have been working in the last 30 years.

We feel that we have to use new technologies like the QR code in order to be able to change our Menus in real time without having to print them, which takes time and a waste of natural resources like paper, ink etc,

Working our menus just with the QR code means that, from the moment our local suppliers offer us a fresh product, (fish, local meats or fresh vegetables) in less than 24 hours we can have them in our QR menus and therefore available to our guests.

We know that most of our customers are already familiar with this technology and we are going to make this transition as friendly as possible. You will just need to scan the QR Code (which is always available in every table), with your smartphone, and access the menu. If you are not familiar with it, we can help you and do it for you, and if you do not have a smartphone, we can supply you with one of our tablets in which you just need to scroll up and down our different menus., It’s like the old time menu but with digital support.

We know that changes are not always welcome, but we firmly believe this change is a step ahead in becoming a more sustainable, more ecological, and a more proximity-friendly restaurant, and we hope that you keep supporting us in this new stage.

We thank you very much for your understanding and hope to see you very soon.

 

[Sparky]

Yes, i had the same email. I just feel it is the slippery slope, only my opinoin .

 

[Disorderly]

Yes, i had the same email. I just feel it is the slippery slope, only my opinoin .

I know exactly what you mean. Somehow, being given a menu to peruse is part of the overall experience. The QR code is a bit “cafeteria ish “, if you see what I mean.

That said, we usually look online at the Stay menu before we go, as very occasionally there’s nothing on the set menu that really grabs me. I probably know what I’m going to order before I arrive!

 

[car77]

I think its a terrible idea. When I pay to visit a high end restaurant I expect high end service and yes, that includes a nice menu to peruse and a waiter/waitress to ask questions of. I don't want to order via an app like in MacDonalds!
I really don't understand how this can allow their suppliers to deliver fresh food quicker to the customer!
And lets face it, they haven't changed their menu in years. Its only the weekly menu of the day that changes and that's just a piece of paper slipped into the main menu.

 

[Sparky]

I think its a terrible idea. When I pay to visit a high end restaurant I expect high end service and yes, that includes a nice menu to peruse and a waiter/waitress to ask questions of. I don't want to order via an app like in MacDonalds!
I really don't understand how this can allow their suppliers to deliver fresh food quicker to the customer!
And lets face it, they haven't changed their menu in years. Its only the weekly menu of the day that changes and that's just a piece of paper slipped into the main menu.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[copper]

Sounds very downmarket to me Wetherspoons use that system !

The latest reviews of Stay certainly dont look as good as of old It has always been our favourite place to eat a few times each time we visit

Will try it once and see what we think

 

[KWUK2]

That is a change that disappoints me a lot.

The reasons given in the email wording look spurious to me. IMO it is a much better customer experience to be able to use a paper version of a menu.

I seem to remember they put their wine-list on high tech a few years ago. I refused to order off that, instead I look online before the visit and decide on the wine in advance.

I will be horrified if they also expect us to 'order' on high tech. (I say that as someone whose whole career has been in high tech)

 

[Disorderly]

I don’t think there’s any suggestion that ordering is done by App. Just access to the menu and order taken by waiting staff as usual.

I agree….It’s a disappointing step and I honestly think the service is nowhere near as good as it was pre-pandemic.

 

[Miller]

I much prefer to place my order with a walking, talking human. This is just too impersonal .

The option to Stay is don't!

 

[Deanscroft]

The main menu may not have changed for years and probably will continue not to change however what putting their menu on line does do is give them the ability to change the prices daily.

 

[Julian Simms]

Good point, and I presume you mean increase.

Having said that, running and managing a restaurant in Spain, in todays current economic climate, especially in tourist areas, must be an absolute nightmare.

Staff aren’t exactly badly paid, especially when you consider they get a minimum of an extra months pay for every six months they are employed, plus a months paid holiday.

Their hours are strictly limited and controlled with absolutely no flexibility given or offered by the government. It’s difficult to hire extra staff in case of temporary spike of work or if a member of staff falls ill.

To add insult to injury social costs average around 35% of the gross salary, including the extra months “bonus”.

No point in mentioning the continuing increase of basic food prices and sometimes the lack of same, which according to most reports, are only going to get worse.

I say good luck to them as if they start to go under we will all suffer one way or another.

Cheers

 

[fil6699]

Yes, i had the same email. I just feel it is the slippery slope, only my opinoin .

I agree totally and refuse to patronise a restaurant who cannot be bothered to print a menu
they are actively encouraging people to have heads buried in phones or tablets .Part of eating out experience is looking at a menu together or as a group and deciding on meals or sharing dishes. this stimulates conversation and is part of the dinning out experience. This is fundamentally flawed .

 

[Teacu]

We’ve not eaten at Stay for a few years now (but had coffee there mid morning on several days in February last). I can remember the ‘outcry’ when the restaurant was refurbished some years back, but it survived and despite the criticisms about indifferent service, etc I guess it will (not least because if it’s location) survive this latest innovation as well. After all, we all want to save the planet, don’t we ? Plus if they get an offer of cheap meat/fish, etc from their butcher/fishmonger they’ll be able to zip it onto the menu poste haste..

 

[mike_dublin]

Used to laugh at the people with their eyes glued to their screens in restaurants, especially while on holidays, when the whole idea is to relax.
And for me it is certainly about less screen time.

Part of the dinner experience to drool over the different dishes on the menu with everyone else and making up your mind. Most certainly not the same on a phone or tablet.

A bit wide of the mark for their target audience I would have thought.

Told them as much in a reply to their e-mail and hope they'll reconsider.

 

[Rockape]

Used to laugh at the people with their eyes glued to their screens in restaurants, especially while on holidays, when the whole idea is to relax.
And for me it is certainly about less screen time.

Part of the dinner experience to drool over the different dishes on the menu with everyone else and making up your mind. Most certainly not the same on a phone or tablet.

A bit wide of the mark for their target audience I would have thought.

Told them as much in a reply to their e-mail and hope they'll reconsider.

Yeah, I have to agree....its nice to be handed a well presented menu, rather than faff around with your phones. Won't stop me eating there though!

 

[Bircho]

Yes, i had the same email. I just feel it is the slippery slope, only my opinoin .

You mean you have to wear ski's whilst ordering on a tablet? They are not making it easy are they?

 

[Luckjon]

Eight of us dined at Stay today and the lack of menus proved a bit problematic. Only two of our party had
smartphones that could access the QR code and the rest of us had to pass around a tablet. When it actually came to ordering there was a lot of confusion and what should have taken a minute or two seemed to drag on for ages with constant checks. This slowed service , although to be fair this could be teething troubles.

 

[Miller]

Eight of us dined at Stay today and the lack of menus proved a bit problematic. Only two of our party had
smartphones that could access the QR code and the rest of us had to pass around a tablet. When it actually came to ordering there was a lot of confusion and what should have taken a minute or two seemed to drag on for ages with constant checks. This slowed service , although to be fair this could be teething troubles.

Glad to know that they have options for us denture wearers. Is this under their "software" section!