The restaurant industry faces many challenges including inflation, workforce costs and shortage, digital complexity and an unsustainable delivery ecosystem. With online orders now averaging 30% of restaurant revenue, we exist to help restaurants build a profitable digital restaurant business. Restaurants leveraging online ordering and delivery deserve accuracy and transparency in how they are able to use data about their biggest asset — their business.
The pandemic hit restaurants harder than most other industries. Restaurant and foodservice sales fell by $240 billion and more than 110,000 eating and drinking establishments closed their doors in 2020, either temporarily or permanently. Restaurants have survived by accelerating their digital transformation to quickly adapt business models, menus, and operations to meet customers’ new expectations and behaviors. Digital is not just a temporary lifeline for restaurants, it has transformed how we manage our guest experiences, operations, marketing and supply chain.
Generating online customers and revenue and managing take-out and delivery creates challenges and opportunities. Restaurants can utilize and embrace digital tools to effectively win new customers, satisfy existing customers, build more loyalty, streamline operations, increase revenue, increase online visibility, build a sustainable delivery ecosystem, and control the customer experience.
Technology can improve customer experience, data transparency, and restaurant profitability, but it’s not without its challenges. Restaurants must now learn how to own their customer data working with third party platforms. Restaurants will need to regain control of their customer experience and build first-party online ordering and delivery ecosystems.
The Digital Restaurant Association (DRA) is building a better future for all restaurants through member educational resources, technology solutions and public policy advocacy.
Restaurants should have the tools to harness the power of technology to reach new and existing customers, and create their own sustainable online ordering and delivery ecosystem. The Digital Restaurant Association is here to help!