Consumer demand is one driver of the proliferation of restaurant apps. But for restaurant operators, the benefit is unlocking access to a treasure trove of customer data.
For proof of how essential these technologies are to restaurants today, look no further than McDonald’s. In March, the company announced plans to double down on kiosks, delivery and curbside service, all powered by the latest digital innovations.
“Technology is disrupting everything around us,” McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook told analysts at the time. “The question for McDonald’s: Do we want to be disrupted, or do we want to be the disruptor?”
For instance, curbside service would allow customers to order on McDonald’s app, which would use geofencing technology to alert the restaurant when the customer is in the restaurant vicinity. An employee would then deliver the order directly to the customer’s vehicle.
Smaller players are also tapping into the power of tech. Papa Gino’s, a 150-unit pizza chain based in Dedham, Mass., has invested heavily in digital capabilities to boost business. The operator hired Los Angeles-based Bridg to target existing customer data.
Providers like Bridg can target all of a restaurant’s customers, even those who don’t use apps or opt in to emails.
By breaking down what customers order and how much they spend, operators like Papa Gino’s can tailor marketing to the individual customer.
“It enabled us to engage with our customer base on a very direct, one-to-one basis, leveraging our transactional database to be able to tailor very, very specific messages to get people and reach them in high impact media,” Papa Gino’s senior vice president of brand strategy Peter Cronin told NRN in January.
Contact Marcella Veneziale at [email protected]
