February 2022 - inresto

Omnichannel Marketing for Restaurants: 5 Key Tactics to Boost Customer Brand Recall

Posted on 22/02/202223/02/2022 by inresto

The recent decade has seen the restaurant industry evolve from a conventional physical existence to a multi-channel presence. Omnichannel marketing refers to usage of more than one channel of marketing for better interaction with customers by businesses. Omnichannel marketing is the crowning touch of this exciting transformation. It engages both offline and online platforms to build an omnichannel interaction with consumers. This multifaceted mechanism helps the restaurant industry to establish its presence on multiple platforms. It also helps restaurants improve their serviceability and customer experience.

The recent changes in the way restaurants cater to their customers have brought a major overhaul to the conventional ordering and dining approach. The need for a uniform and seamless experience over omnichannel platforms has never been more crucial. Earning customer brand recall to make your restaurant a success requires a steady and intuitive approach. Engaging them correctly can improve your business’s presence over multiple platforms

Here are 5 key tactics to boost your customer brand recall:

1. Maintain Your Brand’s Unique Personality

Make sure to keep your branding uniform while engaging on multiple online and offline channels. Catering to the customers for order taking, receiving, and paying for the meals through various avenues needs to leave a uniform yet lasting impression. Whether interacting through an app, on a call, over a kiosk, or in person, all avenues must endorse uniform branding. A brand that inspires trust and familiarity with impeccable service is far more likely to have a higher reach than one lacking in any of these aspects.

Whether using online platforms like social media, emails, messaging apps, or offline platforms as email newsletter, online advertisements, coupons, print media, and loyalty rewards ensure you keep the branding uniform. Using a different brand language on each platform often may leave a negative impact on your brand name and will not instill much faith. A brand that looks dependable, on the other hand, may encourage more loyalty from customers.

2. Elevate the Customer Experience

Right from reservation management, online ordering solutions, to contactless and marketing solutions, inresto helps in making the entire restaurant management process a seamless experience for the restaurant staff. This also elevates the customer experience by big degrees, enabling you to develop a long term relationship with your diners.

Whether the customer places an order through a QR code, through an app, online, or physically, your service needs a consistent response strategy. A service that adequately targets the customers’ need for convenience, personalized service, swift dispensation, and a dependable brand name is one that benefits most. Ensure every query is given adequate attention and all negative reviews are followed up. Only your customers’ responses will pave the way for your future business plans.

3. Build Better Relationships with your Customers

Focus on building better relationships with your customers. A personalised experience will leave a better impression than an impersonal one. Engaging in conversations with clients makes you more attuned to their needs and helps you enhance your methods of catering to them. This two-way street benefits both customers as well as the restaurant industry. After all, it is the customers’ responses that drives the restaurant industry to serve better.

Establishing conducive connections will effectively boost your marketing initiatives. Engaging with social media influencers is one good way of improving your brand recall. They not only improve engagement on social media with consumers but can also drive interaction with consumers. This method, when employed strategically, can be a good source of brand growth and revenue. Building better relationships with your customers can help you make your regular patrons into ambassadors for your restaurant. You can engage with the option of your choice, depending on the funds you allocate for your marketing needs.

4. Use Customer Interaction Data for Intuitive Business Acumen

Data-driven analytics has been a game-changer in the restaurant industry. Employing information appropriated from customer data can prove highly valuable for your business insight. Customer data will help you to improve the efficacy of your service and enhance the consumer’s experience.

The recent pandemic has brought in a large set of restrictions that can put a dampener on customer satisfaction. Interaction with customers brings you intuitive information that can make your business strategy more effective with the least effort. Using the data analysis can help you make the most of the situation and still improve your ordering and dining experience by personalizing the service you give the consumers. This will help you turn your customers into your regular patrons and earn their trust and satisfaction.

5. Effectively put CRM Data into use

CRM data holds a mine of immeasurably vital customer information. You can use the data from your CRM solutions to effectively drive your business’s growth. Ensure that you engage in campaigns that focus on reward systems for important occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. Using inresto loyalty and campaign module, you can easily do this through SMS and email. Tracking customer behavior is also a means of improving personalization of service. Providing incentives that favor customer’s favorites is an effective method of ensuring repeat business.

CRM data can also help you track customer reviews, feedback, and queries. Responding to every one of them can help you gain engagement and organic content for social media platforms. When given adequate attention, this can be a profitable tool to navigate through the needs of the consumers. This can also help you improve your restaurant’s brand visibility and recall and strengthen customer relations.

An omnichannel marketing strategy is a multi-pronged tool that can boost your restaurant’s marketing design in manifold ways. Improving customer brand recall can effectively create additional revenue sources for your restaurant while making your restaurant accessible to a wider range of population through multiple means. You can help your customers get exactly what they need whenever they need it.

Why should you invest in a cloud kitchen?

Posted on 22/02/202222/02/2022 by inresto

The concept of cloud kitchens has gained immense popularity in recent times. As per the projections by Redseer Consulting, the number of cloud kitchens in India is forecasted to grow at a rate of 50-60%. When it comes to gross merchandise value (GMV), the cloud kitchen industry is projected to become a USD 3 billion industry by 2024, up from about USD 400 million in 2019. As a restaurateur, it’s high time for you to explore the potential of cloud kitchen business.

How does the premise of cloud kitchens work?

A cloud kitchen is a delivery-only restaurant where there is no concept of dining-in. Unlike the brick and mortar restaurants, there is no dining area where your diners can sit and have food. In the case of cloud kitchens, customers order food via website and mobile apps. There is also the option to place orders via third party food delivery platforms, and social media platforms.

Top reasons for diners to choose cloud kitchens

Let’s quickly go through the reasons that make cloud kitchens a clear favourite among customers.

1. Hygiene & Safety Concern

Post the outbreak of Covid-19, restaurant customers have become quite safety conscious. Hence a majority of the customers prefer to order food online. While dining out is an occasional affair, food delivery services have made it convenient for people to access delicious food at the comfort of their homes.

Recently PYMNTS research conducted a survey among superconnected customers, who own six or more different devices such as smartphones, laptops and wearables. During the last 15 months, a majority of them have ordered food online. 87% of them plan to continue this habit as often as they do now, even after they can return to the practice of dining in at restaurants.

2. Ease of ordering

Now diners can order food from the comfort of their home. It saves considerable time as well. They don’t have to get ready, get stuck in traffic jams or go through the delay associated with the serving of food. In the post pandemic world, there are options for no-contact delivery as well. The delivery staff of the cloud kitchen enterprise will place the food outside the customer’s doorstep. With digital payment platforms such as Paytm and Google, diners can opt for contactless payments as well making it an absolutely safe dining experience.

Why to invest in cloud kitchens?

Let’s delve deep into the key factors that make cloud kitchens a clear favourite among entrepreneurs.

1. Cost effective

In the cloud kitchen model, you save on a huge amount as rentals. Since diners don’t visit, there is absolutely no need to set up your venture in a prime locality. Also there is no need to invest in signage, interior design, posh furniture and front of the house staff. When it comes to labour, all you need is a team with chefs, dishwashers and delivery agents.

2. Scalability

It is quite easy to expand your cloud kitchen business. If the first venture becomes a hit among diners, then you can easily expand your business to other locations. There is absolutely no need to invest in expensive real estate. Inviting franchisees would also be a great idea to expand your footprint.

3. Scope of flexibility

There is more scope for trying out new experiments. If any of your ideas are not working out, scrap it and come up with a new one. A menu is a typical example. There is no such concept of a printed menu in a cloud kitchen. The consumers place orders for food based on the digital menu. It’s pretty easy to modify a digital menu when compared to that of a printed menu.

4. Different brands under a single roof

A major advantage is that multiple restaurants can run their cloud kitchens in the same building. Suppose you are offering diverse cuisines such as Italian, Mexican and French. Cloud kitchens offer the flexibility of accommodating all your offerings from the same place.

5. Technology to make life easier

Customers place orders through multiple platforms such as websites, call centers and social media platforms. However, managing a huge number of orders should not be a matter of concern for you anymore. India’s leading digital restaurant management platform inresto POS helps you handle orders from multiple platforms with ease. The software also offers valuable insights such as which are the fast moving and non performing dishes in your menu. It helps you focus more on those items which are the hot favourites. Removing those dishes which are low performing will help you cut down losses. The technology software gives you a 360 degree management solutions to all your restaurant problems and you are able to run your business seamlessly.

6. Get access to customer information

The restaurant management system collects valuable data such as customer phone number, e-mail id etc. The software helps you identify your target customers and run marketing campaigns. It also offers the flexibility to run personalised marketing campaigns for diners. With a single click, now you can reach out to a large number of customers.

It also helps retrieve the list of your loyal diners. Develop a customised loyalty program and offer the option of instant redemption. For those diners who order food frequently, come up with special offers and discounts. It will help create a long lasting relationship with your diners.

7. More efficient

At dine-in restaurants a lot of time is wasted due to wait times and the delay associated with serving the order. When you are running a cloud kitchen, there are no such hassles. Just focus on preparing the food and delivering to customers within the stipulated timelines. Hence a cloud kitchen model is much more efficient than a brick and mortar restaurant.

Parting Words

With Covid-19 changing the landscape of restaurant management, ordering, and flourishing digitization within this industry, we think that investing in cloud kitchens is the sure-fire way to restaurant success. Many restaurants have successfully adopted this model and easily adapted it to a multitude of challenges posed by the pandemic. By starting a cloud kitchen can not only enable you to invest less, but also gain fast loyalty from consumers all over the city.

Tips and tricks to scale up your bottom lines this Valentine’s

Posted on 10/02/202214/02/2022 by inresto

Love is in the air and it’s a beautiful time for restaurants to ramp up their footfall by attracting love birds and singles alike. The discretionary spending of consumers surge by a great margin during Valentine’s week and according to the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, about 13 billion dollars is spent by consumers each year around this time.

Tips and tricks to scale up your bottom lines this Valentine’s

So tap into the vast potential and make sure you’re in the lead this Valentine’s Day by adopting these tips and tricks which will work wonders for your bottom lines!

1. Special Discounts and Offers

Bring your customers to the centre and offer genuine discounts to help them celebrate their love. You can run special singles discount to make them feel included or give out a 15% off on every 10th order of the day to make your customers feel lucky and special. Curate a different set of discounts and attract more consumers throughout the week.

2. Market it well

Market your offers well. Without marketing them and spreading awareness about your initiatives, the exercise can be futile. Ensure your social media is up to date and offline marketing is done right with upgraded pamphlets and flyers. Also, make sure you segment your customers and run targeted campaigns so your most loyal customers get the maximum benefits.

3. Make it Easy to Book Reservations

It is clearly that time of the year when you do not want any technical glitches which can cause inconvenience for your customers or your staff. So make sure you’re able to take reservations seamlessly, handle tables and manage queues. Train your staff well in advance to manage rush hours during the week.

4. Surprise your customer

You can give out special mementos during Valentine’s week to make your customer remember the sweet gesture and make them come back again and again. It could be a complimentary dessert or the restaurant’s signature dish or even a piece of artistic cutlery.

5. Special Menu

Curate a special menu only for Valentine’s Day and create enough buzz around it. Provide special dishes or fusions foods as a limited period offering to increase your pool of customers and also increase your repeat customer rate in the long run.

6. Focus on the experience

Last but not the least, build a more experiential ambiance for your customer. Host comedy nights, singles events, live music, or games nights to give an idiosyncratic and holistic experience to your customer.

So get ready to see your restaurant bustling with crowd this Valentine’s and get up to your ears. These benefits will keep your toplines surging even beyond the festivity so do not miss out and make sure you do capitalize on the soaring romance in the wind.

How to encourage diners to order directly from your restaurant’s own Delivery Channel

Posted on 10/02/202210/02/2022 by inresto

The trend of ordering food online using third party food delivery apps is gaining increasing popularity. As per the report by Forbes, 63% of young adults use third-party delivery apps. However, if you are still relying on third party delivery apps, it’s high time to realise that it’s an imperative to build and promote your restaurant’s own delivery channel. Let’s first try to understand how a third party delivery app is posing a strong threat to your restaurant business.

Major drawbacks of a third party food delivery app

Exorbitant commission fee

As per the report by CNBC, delivery providers typically charge restaurants 15 to 30% service fees on every order they fulfil. Hence, third party delivery apps are making a big dent in your profit margin. With such huge commissions, it’s just not possible for you to survive in the long run.

Badly affects the food quality

Third party food delivery apps enter into tie-ups with several restaurants. Hence their delivery staff will try to pick up as many orders as possible to increase their profits. In this process, there will be a delay in delivering the orders placed by your restaurant’s customers. The delay will also cause the food to go cold or soggy.

How to encourage diners to order directly from your restaurant’s own Delivery Channel

Fortunes Paid for Promotions

Third party delivery applications have visibility as their main selling point for restaurants. They know that restaurants’ sales are directly linked to how visible they are on these applications. This causes mounting prices for getting promoted on these applications. However, this alone does not guarantee a sale and your restaurant’s sales are not ensured.

With multiple other factors deciding a successful sale from your restaurant including reviews, rating, and price points, this fortune paid for promotions might also be a big gamble for some restaurants with unfortunate incidents in the past.

How to set up your restaurant’s own website or app

If you are all set to launch your restaurant’s in-house delivery services, then the first step is to build a website and mobile app of your own.

India’s leading restaurant management platform inresto has the right solution for you. With inresto Online Order, build a website of your own, with both iOS and Android mobile apps for your restaurant. It helps you increase your online reach, bookings and aids your customers in ordering food online directly from your website.

Techniques to promote your restaurant’s delivery service

1. Market your food delivery business

Building a website of your own is not enough. There are several methods to make the public aware of your delivery service. Placing a banner on your restaurant website is good to start with. Post the news of the delivery service on your restaurant’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Running a radio, television or print ad is also a great idea to ponder upon. Come up with deals and special discounts that lure your customers to place orders from your website. As per the research by National Restaurant Association, 87 percent of consumers would go to or order from a restaurant if provided with a savings offer.

2. Promote your menu items

The best way to promote your restaurant’s delivery service is by marketing your food aggressively. Assume that you have introduced a range of new dishes to your menu. Highlight the news of the latest offerings in your website and mobile app. A brief description of the mouth-watering dishes will definitely prompt your audience to try out the new dishes.

3. Engagement is the key

Keep your customers engaged with marketing campaigns via SMS, E-mail and push notifications. It makes your online delivery service linger in the minds of your customers. With the help of real-time analytics, evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing campaigns. If it’s not working out, tweak the campaigns, run again and check the impact.

4. Personalised offers make the difference

A restaurant management platform helps you collect valuable information such as the name, contact details and date of birth of customers. On special occasions such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries, send personalised offers to customers. An example can be a 15% special discount on birthdays for placing orders from the company website.

5. Increase traffic with SEO friendly content

Include content in your website that is search engine friendly. With Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) friendly content, your website stands a greater chance of appearing on the top of Google search results. A user who is guided to your website will naturally get to know about your restaurant’s delivery service as well.

6. Gather feedback from customers

Seek feedback from diners on your restaurant’s delivery services. Ask them to rate your delivery service on various parameters such as promptness, behaviour of the delivery staff etc. Feature those reviews on your website and social media platforms. Any prospective customer would be interested in trying out a delivery service that has got rave reviews.

Parting Words

Since the pandemic, diners have become quite hygiene conscious. They no longer want to step out and prefer to order food online. In this scenario, it’s an imperative to build your restaurant’s own delivery service. The techniques discussed above will help you enormously in attracting more orders and spread the word of mouth.

Congratulations on winning the inresto Superstar, Jan 2022

Posted on 02/02/202204/02/2022 by inresto

We are back again with another round of inresto Superstar where we present to you restaurants like yours, which stood out this month.

Your undying spirit and diner first approach is commendable. We think of you every time we think of top dining services across India. As your long-standing restaurant technology partner, we are here again with the inresto Superstar initiative to acknowledge the efforts & outstanding services you deliver to your beloved diners.

What is ‘inresto Superstar’?

A monthly initiative to identify and recognize the phenomenal dining experience provided by our partner restaurants using inresto’s product suite. It is an effort to celebrate the unrelenting spirit of restaurants across the country! Restaurants spread laughter, moments of joy and create memories of a lifetime for millions of people. And to make that possible, it takes a dedicated staff and the right technology to streamline all the restaurant operations.

Raising a toast for all the winners of Jan 2022! Check out the superstars here:

1. Social, Delhi

A co-working space for artists and innovators that blends the best of the office and the café has been a favorite among the diners. It’s urban hangout setting is designed to take you offline while still keeping you connected.

2. Chimichurri Andheri East, Mumbai

This exciting place with authentic taste of meals from several Asian countries has been able to impress many Mumbaikers. They seem to enjoy this Asian fare with a refreshing ambiance time and again.

3. Mamagoto, Chennai

Mamagoto, literally translated to, “to play with food” has been India’s first and only pan Asian café celebrating street hawker cuisine, urban art and manga movement with an “energy box” style of décor.

The food on the menu is a fusion of inspiration from Asian street hawkers, their extensive travels, mad experiences and endless experimentation.

4. Biergarten, Bangalore

Biergarten brings to you a true taste of German culture. It lets its guests experience freshly brewed, good craft beers, with an open-air garden atmosphere and delicious food.

5. Dhaba–Estd 1986 Delhi, Hyderabad

This rustic highway themed restaurant with comfort Punjabi food that you would find at roadside dhabas does justice to its name.

Famous for their non vegetarian delicacies, and highway cocktails they never fail to make their guests feel desi and elite at the same time. No wonder it’s a top pick among diners.

6. Bombay Brasserie, Kolkata

Bombay Brasserie lets you re-discover India through an explosion of flavours it has to offer. One can find an eclectic selection of ingredients and pairings that infuse the familiar with the unexpected. Diners go home satisfied by satiating those cravings for good conversation and great food, through an exciting adventure.

Keep reaching your restaurant business goals and continue to raise the bar for fellow restaurateurs with each passing year.

Check out the previous month’s inresto Superstars here.