According to the National Restaurant Association, 44% of consumers say they placed a food order for takeout or delivery using a restaurant app or website in the past year.
The growing popularity of delivery apps indicates a clear sign of changing customer habits. According to Statista, revenue in the Online Food Delivery segment will amount to nearly $24 billion USD in 2020, with the largest customer group between the ages of 25-34 years old. Regardless of their spending power, customers are generally expecting more from restaurants: quicker service, a seamless ordering experience, and more customization.
The challenging technology landscape is putting pressure on restaurant owners but what opportunities does it bring for restaurants?
1 – Grow customer loyalty programs
Those customers ordering your food online could be the same ones who have been eating at your restaurant for ages. Restaurateurs should look at delivery services as an extension to their service, not a cannibalization. Online ordering is also a channel that helps restaurants reach customers who might not otherwise show up for dine-in experiences.
By combining insights from delivery apps with a built-in Loyalty program in your POS, you can deepen your customer engagement, allocating incentives to customers who interact with your organization, whether it’s an online order for delivery or a dine-in experience.
2 – Redesign logistics for speed and scale
Restaurant managers must review traditional standard SOP to accommodate customer needs and expectations. This involves ensuring that parking, waiting areas, food preparation, and packaging are all well thought out.
For example, adjusting your inventory in real-time helps eliminate waste or missing revenue. This is even more important today considering the speed with which delivery has taken off. The integrated Inventory Management in your POS system gives visibility into your food usage at different locations and different levels of responsibility – from manager and supervisor to line cook and back-of-house employees.
3 – Enhance your brand
To encourage repeat business, your restaurant needs to offer a consistent experience with a unique identity, whether it’s on mobile or in-person. Investing in your digital real estate is far more comprehensive than just online marketing and should also consider guest interactions.
Your employees are your brand ambassadors. They should be excited about your restaurant and the experience you’re delivering. Providing your employees with transparency on their tips and their performance will foster a respectful work environment, so they can extend that care to your customers.
While we believe that the dine-in experience is irreplaceable, we do think restaurants need to meet customers where they are. With Paytouch, we want to take the guesswork out of running a restaurant, so you can spend more time delivering a memorable and authentic guest experience.