Food and Technology through a Historical Context

Ten years ago the landscape of the food industry was much more different than it is today. The revolution was just beginning and started growing into what it is today. This industry has become a very major one in the past ten years. For instance, chefs who were once candid and not in the spotlight are now celebrities, i.e. Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, Rachel Ray. These chefs are not just chefs anymore who remain anonymous, but in this day and age they are television personalities. Before the advent of technology it would have been impossible for a chef to garner a following like the ones I listed above have managed to gain. However, with the advent of technology in the 21st century these chefs can now market themselves as brands with shows, products, websites, fan clubs, products.

In addition to the fact that technology has made the people who cook our food famous, it has also changed the way we dine. Year's ago if we wanted to find a new place to eat we would have to hear about it via word of mouth, or read a review in a newspaper or magazine. Today, if we are in an unfamiliar place or new city I phone apps such as Urban Spoon can point us in the right direction. Not only on I phones, but also on computers is this possible to. With services such as Yelp.com users can chart every single restaurant around them, and by checking a few boxes find what type of food he or she wants and what is open. Even reservations can be made these days on I phone apps using apps such as Open Table. Open Table is an app that has a library of restaurants across the nation and takes reservations.

For the most part I have been talking about fine dining, fast food however has been affected more than sit down restaurants. Franchises and chains have capitalized and taken full advantage of technology. Pizza delivery style restaurants in addition to fast food restaurants are using the internet. A large percentage of people now prefer to order their pizza online. This way it is easier for them to customize it and harder to make excuses if the customer if given the wrong pizza. The new method of pizza delivery makes it easier for both parties. The customer can see what his order is and what he can order, while the employee is able to see what the customer wants. This is much more clear than talking over the phone.

In essence communication in the food industry is becoming smaller, and like everything else technology is making what we used to use smaller in this industry. Instead of the yellow pages, you can now use an I phone app. Instead of calling and reading out your credit card number you can now just use your personal computer.