Augmented Reality Is On The Menu At South Boston Restaurant
BOSTON (CBS) -- Diners at a new South Boston restaurant can play with their food before it arrives at the table. And that's the whole point. "We didn't want to just be basic and boring," explained PJ Crowley, general manager at Backyard Betty's.
Creativity is key at Backyard Betty's and it starts with the menu. Some of their most popular items jump right off the page. By using Snapchat diners are able to tap into augmented reality and get an up-close look at the Nashville Chicken Sandwich or Southwest Nachos before placing their order.
"There's always a sense of astonishment when they first unlock one of the dishes. And then the next thing you know they're snapping pictures all over the place," said Crowley.
Once the photo is on your screen it's a full 3-D, 360-degree view. The virtual dish is easily manipulated. Users can make the images bigger, smaller, zoom in to see each piece of cilantro, or zoom out to see how big the side of fries will be. You can even virtually place the meal in someone's hands and snap a photo.
"We are making it more interactive. Kind of like having a food fight but without, kind of, the mess," Crowley told WBZ-TV.
The most fun part might be the side-by-side comparison of the real dish next to the virtual one.
"It's kind of nice way to share an experience of a place. So, we're having a lot of fun," he said.
Backyard Betty's kicked off their augmented reality menu with five popular items and may add to the list in the future.
