ONLINE ORDERING CHANNELS
O nline ordering has transformed from a con- venience into a critical channel that now accounts for a substantial portion of restau- rant sales, and consumer demand and expectations for seamless digital ordering experiences show no signs of slowing. Restaurant leaders, for their part, are bullish on their prospects for their digital- ordering and off-premises programs. Participants in a recent Nation’s Restaurant News survey were far more likely to report sales increases than de- creases across their off-premises channels in the past 12 months, especially for traditional carryout, catering, and third-party delivery. But managing the complexity and cost of multiple digital ordering channels remains a challenge. Many operators are looking to omnichannel or- dering systems that unify orders from all sources into a single stream, reducing kitchen confusion and improving accuracy. Others are grappling with the right first-party/third-party-mix for their busi - nesses, weighing expanded reach and discoverabil- ity against higher fees and less ownership of data. Integration between ordering platforms and POS systems remains critical, as disconnected systems create operational headaches and data silos. As competition intensifies, restaurants are prioritizing ordering experiences that are fast, intuitive, and personalized to give customers the opportunity to order food wherever and however they like.
Nearly two in three operators anticipate growing their revenues from digital and off-premises channels in the next year. 37+63 63 %
CART-SHOPPING
65 %
29 %
19 %
say they are satisfied with their current online ordering platform
said they were planning to expand their digital ordering channels this year
say seamless integration of online ordering with the rest of the tech stack is a top priority
Source: Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Business research
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