Introduction: The Challenges Restaurants Face Today
Restaurants today are juggling multiple ordering channels—POS systems, third-party delivery apps, and their own websites or mobile apps. While each channel provides access to customers, managing them separately creates several challenges:
- High commissions to aggregators: Third-party delivery apps take a significant cut of every order, cutting into already thin profit margins.
- Difficulty in managing multiple order streams: Keeping online, mobile, and in-store orders in sync is time-consuming and prone to errors.
- Customer retention struggles: Without a centralized system, restaurants miss opportunities to collect loyalty data and personalize promotions.
These challenges make it clear that the traditional approach to restaurant operations is no longer sustainable.
Problem Breakdown
Let’s look closer at the main issues restaurants face:
1. High Costs with Third-Party Delivery Apps
Third-party platforms provide exposure but at a price—often 20–30% per order. For many restaurants, this drastically reduces profits and makes it harder to invest in improving their own services.
2. Difficulty Managing Orders Across Multiple Channels
Orders from online, mobile, and in-store often exist in separate systems. Staff need to manually reconcile these orders, increasing the chance of mistakes, slow service, and dissatisfied customers.
3. Limited Customer Insights and Loyalty Data
Without centralized data, restaurants cannot track customer preferences, buying habits, or reward loyal patrons effectively. This results in missed opportunities to increase repeat business and revenue.
The Solution: Omnichannel Ordering with Mobstep
An omnichannel ordering solution solves these challenges by unifying all ordering channels into a single, easy-to-manage platform.
Key Benefits:
- Centralized Orders: Online, mobile, and POS orders flow into one system, reducing mistakes and improving operational efficiency.
- Lower Costs: Restaurants can reduce reliance on third-party apps, keeping more revenue in-house.
- Customer Insights: Collect and analyze data from all channels to understand customer behavior.
- Integrated Loyalty Programs: Reward repeat customers automatically, improving retention.
- Seamless Experience: Customers enjoy a consistent experience whether ordering online, via app, or in-store.
With Mobstep, restaurants not only streamline operations but also enhance customer satisfaction, leading to higher repeat orders and increased revenue.
Case Example: A Mid-Sized Restaurant’s Success
Consider a mid-sized restaurant that implemented Mobstep’s omnichannel solution:
- Before Mobstep: The restaurant relied on three separate platforms—one for online delivery, one for mobile app orders, and a POS system for in-store orders. Staff often had to manually update orders, and loyal customers were not tracked. Delivery fees to third-party apps took a significant portion of revenue.
- After Mobstep: All orders were unified in a single system. Loyalty points were automatically tracked, promotions could be personalized, and the restaurant reduced reliance on third-party apps by 50%. As a result:
- Delivery fees were cut by 25%
- Repeat orders increased by 30%
- Operational efficiency improved, freeing staff for better customer service
This example demonstrates how an omnichannel platform can transform restaurant operations while boosting revenue.