Four Reasons Why Dine-In Restaurants Should Switch From Kiosk & Tablet Orders to Mobile Ordering
With the hefty percentages taken by food delivery platforms, restaurants are seeking to become more efficient with front-of-house operations. Due to the popularity of McDonald’s ordering kiosks, popular fast-casual dining brands are looking to tech for help.
Even though a kiosk makes ordering more efficient and provides up-sell opportunities for a higher order basket, larger brands are starting to put menus right on the phones of guests and going straight to a web-based mobile ordering solution – no guest apps required!
Mike Smith, COO of Taziki’s, has stated that they are skipping kiosk ordering, explaining that “the POS of the future is in our pockets.” While kiosks and tableside tablets make the front of the house more efficient, they lack the expanded benefits of table ordering solutions such as QR menus.
Here are our top four reasons why you should switch from using ordering kiosks and traditional table ordering systems to mobile ordering for dine-in restaurants.
1. POS Data Is What, But Not Who!
POS data is great for stock control and which meals are the most popular, but it doesn’t connect to the social profiles of guests or give you any idea whatsoever about who your guests are. When guests access your web app menu via a link or a QR code, this is similar to a website visit, logging certain details about the user. You can then retarget these patrons via Facebook (or Google) while building your Facebook page guest profile.
For instance, a restaurant starts a special steak night and wants to invite everyone who has ordered steak previously. Using the menu link’s visitors as a marketing audience source, a restaurant brand can create a Facebook ad targeted at every customer who has previously ordered steak, inviting them to the steak night. Additionally, Google Analytics can display the age, gender, and city of everyone who visits your menu link. This is impossible with kiosks or waitstaff-based table ordering.
Both Google and Facebook also allow for creating a look-a-like audience. This means that retargeted ads can be delivered to audiences who resemble those ordering on the menu. This is typically much cheaper than interest-based targeting. The venue can also have a more accurate buyer persona as guests interact with the restaurant’s social media profiles simply by using a system like mobile ordering for dine-in.
2. Order for Curbside Pickup
The beauty of a web-based menu is that it’s not just about dine-in revenue. A savvy mobile ordering platform will also allow for ordering in advance and curbside pickup. One can access the web app menu using a direct link as part of the venue’s website, Facebook page, Instagram profile, auto-reply on messenger platforms, or via a QR code on the table or as part of the menu. This flexibility allows you to use one single link in multiple ways, giving guests more options for ordering.
3. Nearby Venues – Take Some Revenue Back From Delivery Platforms
Many restaurants are situated in residential buildings, commercial districts, or in walking distance of bring-your-own-food bars. Restaurants can profit from lunch to late night by taking orders for pickup or even dropping off orders for these nearby customers.
Due to being in such close proximity of their guests’ locations, dedicated delivery drivers are not required and neither is the fee structure that comes with offering delivery in-house or via a third-party app. If the venue has a web-based mobile ordering platform, they can reach more of these nearby customers by using a simple web app menu, giving these potential patrons the ease of ordering from a quick-loading website or via a restaurant’s Facebook page. They can either swing by to pick up the orders themselves, or restaurants can have servers walk orders to the guests.
4. Customer Feedback Loop With a Web App Menu
Mike Smith also points out that the popular third-party delivery platforms do not pass on guest feedback. Restaurants with a web-based mobile ordering menus can collect feedback on each meal directly from guests, giving them valuable information toward improving the guest experience.
To learn more about how a system for mobile ordering for dine-in or pickup can help your restaurant, check out our demo, where you can also book a free 15-minute consultation on moving to a solution such as a QR menu or web app menu.
