The Virtual Reality Restaurant

Technology can play a key role in creating immersive experiences, by pushing people's senses to the limit.

The Frenessì Restaurant in Bogota, Colombia, is a tech champion. It offers a 3-hour immersive and exclusive experience that goes through multiple flavours, delicious food and cultures.

The Frenessì Restaurant in Bogota, Colombia, is a tech champion. It offers a 3-hour immersive and exclusive experience that goes through multiple flavours, delicious food and cultures.

The Frenessì Restaurant in Bogota, Colombia, is a tech champion. It offers a 3-hour immersive and exclusive experience that goes through multiple flavours, delicious food and cultures. 


In this case study, we will explore how this restaurant uses virtual reality to its advantage (as it is its DNA) and how can others find inspiration from it - without imitating it.


The customers in the Frenessì (which means 'an uncontrolled excitement') stay in a multi-sensory reality capsule. Here they find only one single table where the whole experience everything takes place - which corresponds to its name.


By using virtual reality, the restaurant is able to provide endless sensory experiences combined with great food, from a lot of different places, for those who want to push their senses to the limit. These types of examples are important to be shared as this is a sector that needs to innovate to keep meeting customers' expectations.



What Does the Experience Looks Like?


When the customers enter the capsule they find their names on their seats - which makes it very personalised and special - and then a member of the staff explains what the experience will look like. 


After they sit, the experience starts. The first 'environment' is Antarctica where everything is white and cold and then it moves to a spaceship, to a paradise beach, to the ocean depths and to a tropical environment - with the sea rising to the table or birds around it, making it more realistic and immersive. In total, it’s an incredible and tasteful trip to 11 virtual worlds combined with the 5 senses.

The food is adapted to the environment provided by the lights, colours, temperature, sound, fragrances and other sensory elements enabled on the capsule. For example, when the customers are in the ocean depths they get the opportunity to taste seafood. There's always a connection between food and space which raises the level of immersion.



Exclusivity


This is an experience for only 14 people at a time. Considering that each experience lasts 3 hours, this becomes exclusive as expected. That explains the price of around 100 euros per person.


Nonetheless, the experience is so personalised that everyone feels special - the name on the seat, the mains that change from environment to environment, as well as the lights, sounds and fragrances. All of this, together with great cuisine (combining luxury with local food), makes it a very appealing experience to be tried at least once.


Here at the DTTT, we look at this restaurant as an example of how to provide remarkable gastronomic experiences with the help of technology, by enabling and leveraging customers’ senses - this is definitely one of the keys to satisfying them.


Restaurants should consider turning their experience into something that pushes for their customer's senses. In addition to great flavours, local cuisine, perfect design and excellent service, they can start incorporating other elements like music, fragrances or whatever enables their senses.

Key Takeaways

  • Technology can play a key role in creating immersive experiences, by pushing people's senses to the limit. Gastronomy is and will always be about the senses.

  • There’s always demand from consumers who look for exclusive and unique experiences, even if they are expensive.

  • Consider if a more premium experience can drive better value for smaller numbers and how technology can help deliver the exceptional perspective.
Published on:
December 2022
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