The restaurant industry has greatly benefited from adopting modern technologies. In our previous post titled: “How AI is Transforming Restaurant Labor Cost”, we note that this emerging technology alone can accurately predict the necessary resources required for operational efficiency, helping a restaurant save on labor. Also, smart kitchens powered by the Internet of Things can facilitate remote appliance control thereby cutting energy cost and food waste. Open-source food ordering systems like TastyIgniter are also important technological solutions that streamline order management so restaurants can gain wider exposure in an industry that is currently worth around £8.9 billion.

When investing in the latest tech today, industry professionals may particularly want to pay attention to wearables, which offer convenient, easy-to-use functionalities that can be highly beneficial for kitchen and waitstaff. In this sphere, the demand for smart eyewear is beginning to outstrip the demand for popular wearables like the smartwatch—so much so that the UK’s smart glasses market has an estimated value exceeding $301.6 million (£237.7 million). That may be attributed to the fact that it can uniquely be used hands-free and boasts several intelligent features that can revolutionize the future of restaurant service. Here’s how:

Defining Modern Smart Eyewear

In essence, smart eyewear combines the functionalities of traditional eyeglasses or sunglasses with that of the smartphone to provide a hands-free user experience. Meta’s pioneering smart glasses exemplify the wearable’s benefits. The brand’s most popular pairs, which leverage classic Ray-Ban eyewear frames like the Wayfarer, can facilitate communication, media capture, and audio playback. They also boast social media integration and a voice-activated AI assistant to answer queries—all conveniently usable hands-free in restaurants.

One of Meta’s upcoming 2025 releases, which aims to upgrade Oakley glasses, further illustrates the feasibility of using smart eyewear in a restaurant setting. Similar to the brand’s Holbrook and Upturn models, the Supernova 2 will offer patented Oakley features like durable yet lightweight O Matter frames and Unobtainium nose pads that ensure a secure fit. These features help ensure modern smart eyewear—despite all their functionalities—can be worn comfortably even during longer shifts spent in kitchens or directly with customers.

Yet though these features prove that smart glasses can definitely be used in restaurants, how exactly can they help revolutionize operations once they are?

Smart Eyewear: Revolutionizing the Future of Restaurant Service

Training

The best restaurants invest significant time, effort, and attention to detail in training employees because doing so impacts food quality, service consistency, and ultimately customer experiences. As exemplified by NSF's EyeSucceed glasses, smart eyewear can enhance and streamline training significantly. These frames offer voice-controlled applications providing employees with necessary information as they work. Additionally, built-in AI detects and corrects employee errors in real-time. Such features effectively transform any training session into an on-the-job training experience—in one instance contributing to a 75% reduction in maintenance costs for an EyeSucceed quick-service restaurant client due to improved training and operational efficiency.

Marketing

With today’s consumers relying heavily on visuals—and UK marketing agency Social Films noting video helps 93% of marketers gain new customers—it is ideal to share photos and videos of dishes and dining experiences on visual-heavy social media sites like Instagram. Smart eyewear excels here by capturing media from a unique first-person perspective that stands out online. For example, it accurately represents what dining at a particular establishment would feel like. Models like Ray-Ban Meta glasses directly post content to platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, simplifying restaurant marketing efforts further.

Hosting

Currently, many restaurant hosts use gadgets like tablets to seat and manage dinner parties of various sizes—but what if they took it further by wearing smart eyewear? With OLED lens displays on models like Vuzix M400 glasses, hosts can effortlessly refer to seating layouts visible at a glance—and respond as layouts update in real-time. If equipped with additional AI functionalities such as facial recognition software, hosts could instantly identify regular customers upon arrival, retrieve their names and order histories immediately, and seamlessly provide curated dining experiences based on this information.