Consumers have changed a lot of habits in recent months, with many people ordering food online out of safety concerns and convenience. This could be costing you sales if your restaurant doesn’t have an online ordering system; an efficient online ordering and payment system will help a restaurant sustain, and possibly grow, their takeout business.
Online ordering is here to stay
Restaurants with online ordering in place when the pandemic began were steps ahead of their competition. As consumer ordering and payment habits become expectations, operators without a system will soon need this technology to keep up with the trends.
In a recent survey of 500 consumers, Datassential reports 72% only feel comfortable ordering food from a restaurant for takeout or delivery. People want an easy way to order that makes them feel comfortable. Online ordering answers that call and may lead to future sales and grow your online exposure.
To make it work means operators should consider starting up delivery through a third-party service such as DoorDash, or online ordering via their own website.
Online ordering benefits delivery
Habits also are changing for operators. According to another recent Datassential survey, 86% of over 400 restaurant operators surveyed started online ordering during the pandemic and expect the practice to continue moving forward. Benefits they quickly realized:
- Order accuracy improved when customers placed their own orders
- Check averages increased due to suggestions/recommendations during the online ordering process
- Labor reduced with less time spent answering phones
- Profitability was helped with the access to data
Which online ordering system is best?
How do you choose online ordering that’s right for you? Here are some things to consider:
- Terms and all costs involved
- Timeline to program, train and launch
- Ongoing support
- POS integration
- Integration with third-party delivery, Google, Facebook and Instagram
- Reporting
- On-premise order and pay online
— Written by Gordon Food Service Business Solutions Specialist Eric Schamp
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