Phones No Longer Rule Takeout
In the past, people who wanted to get takeout would simply call in an order and show up around the time it was finished. This was much more efficient than showing up, placing an order and then sitting at a bar table until it was finished. As it turns out, though, this is no longer how things work. Maybe the biggest current trend in online ordering is the fact that it has overtaken phone orders.
This is only a recent development. Over-the-phone restaurant orders long sat at the top of the mountain. With smartphones making online ordering that much easier, though, the masses have finally migrated to the more digital solution. This trend makes it obvious that, if a restaurateur doesn’t implement an online ordering strategy, they’re going to lose out to the competition.
Mobile Apps and Social Media Drive Sales
Anyone who watches the occasional television commercial undoubtedly saw that Domino’s implemented a method where customers could order pizza by simply texting an emoji. In a world such as this, some eateries will likely evolve to not even need café tables and restaurant furniture. As it turns out, though, Domino’s isn’t the only one making these huge strides.
Many restaurants now also work with companies like GrubHub and UberEATS. These services allow customers to place their orders via online apps and have drivers deliver them within minutes. This online ordering trend isn’t in its infancy, but it’s certainly not in every market just yet. As demand grows along with the size of cities, though, there’s no doubt that hungry people will look more towards mobile apps to place and receive their online orders.
Cloud-Based Integration
While mobile apps, social media and increasing online orders are all currently widespread, cloud-based integration with point-of-sale (POS) systems is newly-emerging. Third-party online ordering companies are now trying to integrate a store’s POS system with their online ordering forms.
This means that online orders can immediately be entered into a restaurant’s POS system, and it’s even possible to process payment immediately so the potential for “no shows” is reduced. This type of cloud integration also negates the need for eateries to purchase their own software to handle necessities like this.
Online ordering is no longer the wave of the future—it’s the wave of now. This means that restaurateurs must stay abreast of every emerging trend. While they may prefer to have patrons sitting in their café tables where upsells and direct communication is easy, that’s not an excuse to ignore online ordering trends that will define the industry.