Chili's tabletop ordering system helps boost checks

You might think Chili’s Grill & Bar is rolling out tabletop tablet ordering systems to improve ordering efficiency and possibly cut back on labor. But there’s an important added bonus to the new systems, according to Bloomberg Businessweek: higher tabs.

Restaurants where the tablets were tested saw appetizer sales jump 20 percent, despite the fact that appetizers weren’t listed separately on the tablets. Dessert orders at the test sites, thanks to the power of suggestion and mouth-watering photos, spiked about 30 percent. Even tips climbed by 15 percent, probably thanks to a default suggestion of 20 percent.