More and more people order food via apps and pay with their mobile phones in restaurants. Restaurant owners are concerned about attracting more people to their cafes. In this article, we’ll tell you how you can “make your restaurant great again” by adding a digital experience to it.
The first thing to know is that you can either just allow people to find your restaurant, read reviews and make a reservation, or get a full digital experience in your restaurant itself. Let’s see why you should create a food ordering app and what it will bring to your table.
1. Make your service more pleasant and prompt
This doesn’t mean you need to turn your restaurant into a fast-food. However, providing customers with an ability to make a reservation for an evening or order food in advance will surely make your target audience wider. People who don’t like to call a restaurant to book a table or don’t like waiting for their food for too long will appreciate your effort.
2. Become the favorite restaurant of millennials
Millennials are currently those people who go to restaurants with their friends and love mobile phones. Offer them the digital tool they’re most used to, and you’ll see how they return to your restaurant again and again.
3. Let customers find you
Maps, push notifications and special offers are the mobile features that will lead people to you. Let them know where your restaurant is located with a map, allow customers to find the best route to it and then send them a notification with the latest offer. Also, don’t forget to include the menu!
Get a free promotion and allow your visitors to share their photos of your delicious dishes via social media.
4. Turn your one-time visitors into dedicated fans
Printed leaflets and plastic cards for your loyalty program is a last century thing. Add bonuses into your mobile app, offer special benefits and encourage people to return to you again and again.
5. Expand your service with delivery
If you already deliver food, you absolutely should use an app for that. If you don’t — you should start to deliver, as food delivery is the most fast-growing part of the food industry. This can be another source of profit for your restaurant, but you need an app for the best experience.
6. Provide convenient payment
Paying with cash in restaurants is often inconvenient, and more people prefer to pay with their credit cards. Bring payment to the next level and offer mobile payment, so your customers don’t have to think about the money after a pleasant evening.
7. Get valuable feedback
Feedback is a pillar of your success. Restaurants struggle with getting feedback and usually see that people are unsatisfied when they stop coming to a restaurant. A mobile app can help you get feedback and collect reviews. Make sure your service is great, and people won’t hesitate to share it with their friends.
Final thoughts
Mobile apps offer many benefits to restaurants, from increasing their visibility to getting new sources of income. You can make an app your unique trait that will not only attract new visitors but also make them come back again and again.
