So, you own a restaurant in a great location, with skilled chefs, and the perfect ambiance. Yet, the business isn’t lucrative. Wondering why? Did you know that 60% of US consumers order takeout or get food home delivered at least once every week? Furthermore, nearly 64% of customers prefer ordering digitally, even at a QSR.
People today are looking for ways to keep up with their accelerating lifestyles. Naturally, they are demanding convenience in every stage of brand engagement and purchase experience. This implies that even restaurant businesses need to be at par with the ever-changing customer demands.
A restaurant pre-ordering system is a versatile and robust digital solution that enables your customers to pre-order their food. It reduces the wait time from physically ordering food to receiving it. Such digital ordering systems enable customers to book a meal in advance for a dine-in, pick-up, and even home delivery.
In this article, we will discuss what a pre-ordering system is, its benefits, and who can benefit from it. So, let us dive in!
A pre-ordering/advance ordering feature is something customers can use to order their food in advance. They can even select a specific time slot to get their food, whether they’re dining in, getting a takeaway, or ordering-in.
Your customers want to feel in control. If you make them wait for too long, they feel disrespected which can damage your customer return rate.
Thanks to pre-ordering systems, people can order their food to be delivered at a certain time of the day, thereby reducing the wait time for every customer. Furthermore, it enables you to serve piping hot food to diners right after they settle down at your restaurant, without any delay.
Pre/advance ordering is usually done via the restaurant’s website or a mobile application. Customers can simply choose from a comprehensive restaurant menu, confirm the date and time, and they’re good to go. They can even opt for home delivery for a selected time slot.
Talk about convenience!
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Better inventory management
10% of food is wasted even before it makes it to a customer’s plate. Poor inventory management is partly responsible for this.
A pre-ordering system can enable you to prevent such wastage. Getting orders in advance can help you plan food orders and better manage the ingredients in the inventory. Based on pre-orders, you can schedule meal preparations in the most effective way, resulting in shorter TAT and greater customer satisfaction.
Ability to fulfill more orders
Waiting in a queue to dine-in or get a takeaway is not something customers are fond of. Also, if you receive a lot of delivery orders during peak hours, customers might have to wait longer than usual to get their food delivered.
Pre-ordering helps prevent such inconvenience and makes sure that people do not have to wait for their food. It also enhances table turnover by minimizing delays with ordering, meal preparation, and checkout.
The staff can serve customers quickly and efficiently if orders and payments are cleared in advance. This will enable you to fulfill more orders and ensure that people enjoy your food more.
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More order accuracy
Order accuracy improves when there is a digital meal pre-ordering app. Restaurants know exactly how many orders to fill and what to prepare. You get plenty of time to get everything ready and double/triple-check the orders. This enhances efficiency and reduces mistakes in customer service.
Convenience for restaurants
For restaurant owners, it's a win-win situation. There are no perplexing phone orders, and orders are placed with a simple click/tap on a restaurant online ordering system. There is no requirement of entertaining the waiting crowd. Everything has been booked in advance; all that remains is for the restaurant to serve the customer.
People may start eating right away, and the restaurant can start serving right away. This approach appeals to millennials, early adopters, and tech-savvy individuals.
Food Trucks
Food delivery apps like Uber Eats and Postmates cater to nearly 50 million Americans every year. Yet, there are only a few food ordering systems that allow users to order from a food truck.
A pre-ordering feature can help food trucks better publicize themselves by notifying customers of their upcoming outings. They can accept pre-orders and gauge the ingredient inventory. Furthermore, customers won’t have to stand in long lines or face sold-out menus.
How to build a perfect ordering system for your Food Truck Business
Independent Restaurants
Independent restaurants can stay ahead of their competition through pre/advance ordering functionality. It will help them enhance customer experience and build a loyal customer base. Furthermore, they can reduce loss due to food wastage and guests moving somewhere else.
Cloud Kitchens
Cloud kitchens, which operate solely for delivery and take-away, can use a pre-ordering feature to provide excellent customer service. People can pre-order meals and pick them up without waiting for several minutes. Additionally, it will help cloud kitchens significantly reduce the food delivery time and earn customer loyalty.
Start your cloud kitchen right with these tips.
Wrapping Up
If you still haven’t thought about getting pre-ordering software for your restaurant business, now is the time to do so. Not only will it help you cater to the ever-changing consumer demand, but it will also help you deliver the convenience they desire. Moreover, it will help you build a more lucrative restaurant business with a long line of loyal customers and high retention rates.
