The restaurant industry has started to embrace innovation side as more consumers use technology to enhance their dining experiences. James Fields of the Nashville-based Tennessean reported that in Middle Tennessee, technology has enabled some popular spots to better keep track of their customers’ likes, milestones and experiences, which allows them to customize their guests’ future visits. Other local restaurants bring their familiar, personal appeal to enticing mobile apps and web features that lure the technologically savvy patrons.

Restaurants are seeking out untapped tech geniuses in their communities and setting up “labs” where those gurus can develop ideas to help the eateries improve their operations. Everything from menus, business efficiency and seating to mobile ordering, payment and customer experience is up for scrutiny, the Tennessean reported.

Established members of the restaurant industry are also introducing a new role on their leadership team: the vice president of information technology. This shift is the result of increased demand from consumers for technology to be part of their dining experiences. These new IT leaders are tasked with strategizing for the future, managing security to avoid data breaches and building mobile apps to help drive the business, the Tennessean reported.

For restaurant owners who play the role of chief executive officer and chief technology officer, technology is always top of mind. They are strategizing contingency plans for when connections are down and are keeping abreast of current technology regulations to make sure patrons keep coming through their doors, the Tennessean reported.

Consumers are starting to use new credit and debit cards enabled with EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) chip technology. This new global standard for processing cards will make it harder for counterfeit cards to be created, protecting the cardholders from fraud headaches. As of October 2015, businesses that run EMV chip-enabled cards through a magnetic swipe machine will be responsible for any fraudulent charges. Therefore, it will be vital for your favorite restaurants to ensure that more than just your order is correct, the Tennessean reported.

Recent studies have shown that more than 6 billion text messages are sent in the United States every day, and almost 23 billion are sent daily across the globe. With the increasing dependence on mobile devices comes a new form of ordering, through tweets, texts and emojis. Customers can send a pizza emoji and get their favorite order on their doorstep. Or they can buy friends a cup of coffee through a tweet. The growing popularity of this instantaneous ordering may cause more retailers to provide the same level of convenience to their customers on an ongoing basis, the Tennessean reported.

As innovators develop new technologies and consumer demands change, only time will tell what technological advances the restaurant industry will cook up next.