Among all the activities we engage in daily, eating cannot be automated. However, this hasn’t stopped food corporations from establishing themselves in the metaverse.
Food brands, particularly CPG companies, quick-service restaurants, and their suppliers, are beginning to investigate what the metaverse has to offer in terms of customer reach and engagement. And the potential is considerably greater: this technology, which is still in its early stages, has the potential to disrupt everything from how businesses promote their products to how they teach their employees.
The Concept Of Metaverse!
So, what precisely is the metaverse? It is a 3D virtual reality world in which users interact with the environment and other users using avatars. A simple way to think about it is to mentally replace “the metaverse” with “cyberspace.” The meaning will not vary considerably 90% of the time. This is because the phrase alludes to a broad shift in how humans interact with technology, rather than any one type of technology in particular.
When viewed in this light, the concept becomes more evident, especially when considering how significantly our interactions with technology have altered over the last two decades. The metaverse is merely an interactive virtual world.
Food In The Metaverse: How It Started?
Domino’s Pizza was arguably the first to venture into the metaverse restaurant market. Lastraum, a metaverse developer, organized a special event in March 2021 that featured the first-ever real food order service from within Decentraland (for US residents). One client was chosen to order a real pizza from the metaverse and have it delivered to their (real) home.
Chipotle Mexican Grill launched a virtual Halloween event inside the online Roblox game platform in October. Visitors who entered the virtual eatery received promo vouchers for a free real-world burrito.
The metaverse gave brands the ability to construct their virtual area. The combination of the food in the metaverse may not appear to be the most obvious, given that one is based in the digital domain while the other is firmly established in the physical world. The food business can be innovative and eager to tackle fresh challenges.
What Do People Think Of The Food In The Metaverse?
1. Authentic Culinary Experience
After a massive series, many people dine at the stadium. They can now watch a virtual game and eat virtual food. A person’s avatar can visit a street food vendor and sample a virtual dish. The metaverse will have an impact on restaurants because it will provide a richness of imagination to the promotion of their businesses in the metaverse. Two pals who live far apart can meet in a virtual restaurant and order food. Food brands have a lot of promise in this space since they can interact with customers in fresh ways.
2. Innovative Methods Of Interaction
The food business may not have benefited as much as other industries from the digital transition from the physical to the virtual world, but things are changing now. Coca-Cola, for example, took part in an NFT campaign and created virtual goodie bags with digital collectibles. As loot boxes, NFTs were sold at auction. The boxes held objects that were notable for their originality. There was a futuristic Coca-Cola bubble jacket that reminded people of old delivery outfits.
3. Opening Up New Avenues
Food content in the metaverse is a departure from tried-and-true methods. Paths and opportunities are no longer limited by geography as consumer landscapes change continuously. People can share food with their family and friends and can take cooking classes or share food with family and friends.
Benefits Of Food In The Metaverse For Manufacturers
Simulated factory tours, digital twins of technology, and AR-assisted repair visits have all grown commonplace in recent years. They may not have been officially mentioned as being part of “the metaverse,” but they all fit the bill. This trend of “food in the metaverse” toward the usage of virtual worlds is expected to continue as technology advances and manufacturers understand the very practical bottom-line benefits, such as the money saved by testing a piece of gear before it’s ever created.
Food In The Metaverse: Top Food Brands In The Race!
Food in the Metaverse takes many shapes as food corporations experiment with incorporating the virtual world into the consumer’s fine dining experience. Here are some intriguing examples:
1. MCDONALD’S VIRTUAL LANDGRAB
It’s a well-kept secret in the corporate environment that McDonald’s true business is real estate, which is what we believe these metaverse initiatives are all about. On the outside, it appears to be an attempt to keep up with the times by catering to a new craze, but the truth appears to be that McDonald’s is equally likely to invest in digital assets as it is in physical ones.
2. PANERA BREAD
Panera revealed shortly after McDonald’s trademark filing that it had registered a trademark for a customized virtual reality called “Paneraverse.” “Panera is always aiming to be at the frontline of tech progress – as a brand, we are constantly searching for innovative ways to improve our guest experience, whether in our cafes or the Metaverse,” says Panera’s Chief Digital Officer George Hanson.
3. GARY VEE’S FLYFISH CLUB
Upon its opening in 2023, Gary Vee’s private dining club will be the world’s first NFT restaurant with exclusive memberships. Patrons can buy an omakase membership on January 7th, which provides them access to reservations at a 14-seat omakase room where a still-unknown master sushi chef will serve fresh fish from Japan. Members must still pay for their food in addition to the membership fee. Membership, on the other hand, can be rented for a set amount of time or sold to another individual.
4. BURGER KING
Burger King first released Keep It Real Meals in September 2021 as a result of the promotion, and the quick-service restaurant attached QR codes to the happy meals. By scanning these codes, the user received digital artifacts and NFT rewards.
Food and beverage firms are experimenting with new ways to consume their products, even if it is not yet viable to eat digitally. The trend “food in the metaverse” opens up new avenues of engagement for food enterprises, and incorporating culinary experiences into Web 3.0 may become a crucial component in ensuring the food business’s long-term success in the metaverse. A completely new universe that blends virtual reality and actual reality will fast become the norm in every industry, including the food business. Consequently, businesses are already ready to join in on this exciting environment.
What Does The Future Hold For Food In The Metaverse?
Food In The Metaverse appears to be in the experimental or “contemporary” stage at the time.
Meeting new individuals has become difficult in the work-from-home era. Metaverse dinner dates could be one approach. Restaurants would collaborate with dating apps and delivery businesses to offer virtual dinner dates, where a couple could enjoy conversation and dining in the ambiance of a good restaurant while eating comfortably at home.
Finally, owing to food in the metaverse, the dining experience may gain a new dimension. Soon, you may be able to enjoy the immersive experience of savoring your favorite dish from a fresh perspective, seated at a virtual table in a famed upscale restaurant, or in a submarine eating exotic seafood, while eating your favorite pasta from the restaurant down the avenue.
Meanwhile, our mobile app development company is always ready to think beyond the box, backed by a team of talented innovators. Let’s discuss what we can accomplish together.
