Customers will reportedly be able to order appetizers and desserts, pay for food, and play video games on the tablets. Patrons will still order meals through waiters and waitresses, according to USA Today.

 

Tablets are already common in restaurants in Europe and Asia, and the trend seems to be coming to the U.S. now as well. The Applebee's announcement comes a few months after competitor Chili's announced similar plan for its restaurants.

 

The idea isn't new — in 2011, CNN Money wrote about a start-up that developed tablets for several restaurants around San Francisco.