Restaurants use technology to personalize customer experiencesRestaurants use technology to personalize customer experiences

Want a look at the restaurant of the future? Try Netflix.

The world’s eateries are vastly different from an online purveyor of movies and television shows. Yet companies like Netflix, or Amazon have thrived over the years based on their ability to personalize the customer experience. They know where you come from and what you order. And they often know where you go when you’re done.

These tech companies take this information and use it to their advantage, targeting customers with advertisements or experiences personalized based on their buying patterns. The result? Netflix put giant brick-and-mortar retailer Blockbuster out of business. For an indication of Amazon’s strength, just look at the number of traditional retailers like Sears, Mac...