Food-On-Demand is hot; Here’s how to make sure it delivers for your restaurant!

The 2019 Food on Demand Conference is coming to Chicago, IL, on April 1-2, 2019. After her highly acclaimed panel at last year’s conference, CEO Lisa van Kesteren will return for this year’s panel to discuss the latest insights into how food on demand and food delivery apps are changing the way restaurants do business. Attend her panel and receive the proprietary 2019 Food on Demand Study (1,895 value!) for FREE!

Looking for food on demand insights now?
Read on or download the 2017 Food on Demand Study.

Food-on-demand (FOD) is experiencing a stratospheric rise, with investment firm Cowen forecasting a 79% surge in the U.S. home delivery market over the next five years. This is a game-changer for the QSR and fast casual industries, creating opportunities and challenges.

Using the rapidly expanding FOD options available can increase revenue by reaching new and existing customers at times when they would normally not be able to visit your restaurant, like the Grandma who discovered Uber Eats when she wanted local food delivery for her favorite Wendy’s food.

But, FOD comes with a distinct risk as well. Whether offered through GrubHub, DoorDash or Uber Eats, the one constant is that a third party delivers a restaurant’s brand experience during a very critical part of its journey to the consumer.

Social media is capable of creating near-fanatical consumer advocates when a brand delivers on its promise, and FOD is no exception. That same fanaticism can apply negatively when an experience fails to live up to expectations.

So how can restaurants successfully serve more than the two traditional channels (front & drive-thru) to include multiple third-party delivery services and their mobile apps in the mix?

PROPER TRAINING AND PREPARATION FOR YOUR TEAM.

Don’t assume that changing workflows and attending to different incoming orders is simple. Realize that actual clients in front of your employees will probably be served first over the incoming ‘pings’ from a third party (or your mobile apps). Giving employees proper education, guidelines and a sense of control are important – otherwise, they might quit in frustration as this McDonalds story outlines.

FOD OR APP – BEHIND EVERY ORDER IS A PERSON.

Make sure the team is aware that every order has a person behind it – even the orders that are not phoned in delivered by a third-party. Our first ever Food on Demand Study has insights on the reasons people use on-demand apps and their expectations. Your employees are preparing food for people, not third-party order slips coming out of a machine.

OWN AND MEASURE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.

The customer experience is created with each and every interaction with a customer, whether that interaction was in person or not. It’s critical to own the customer experience by measuring it. Just like ‘in person’ interactions, online customer interactions and interactions with third parties can be measured. In our 2017 Food on Demand Study, we asked our mystery shoppers to note if the driver greeted them and if the driver checked their order.

Regular mystery shopping and integrated customer feedback collection are critical to a successful multichannel brand experience!

GAIN MORE FOOD ON DEMAND INSIGHTS.

For more information, or to gain actionable insights regarding food on demand to enhance your restaurant’s business strategy, contact us and attend CEO Lisa van Kesteren’s panel at the 2019 Food on Demand Conference. Panel attendees will receive the proprietary 2019 Food on Demand Study ($1,895 value!) for FREE.

Have you downloaded your copy of the 2017 Food on Demand Study yet?