Good Digital Practices and Restaurant Trends to Follow for 2019

Ciarán Gallagher
Author Ciarán Gallagher
Blog
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Business has moved online and top experts suggest it has no signs of slowing down! With this advent there are now digital practices and trends that are required to keep yourself current in a market anyone can take advantage of.

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As a restaurant owner you know how important it is for your business’s reputation to shine. With technology constantly evolving within the Food and Beverage Industry restaurant managers and owners need to be aware of good digital practices that are driving this e-commerce. Let’s take a look at some practices you should be aware of for 2019.

Social Media Engagement:

Millennials spend more time on their phones than any other generation with 90% using an up to date smart phone on a daily basis. With this saturation of potential customers, the food and beverages industry has moved digitally and these millennials are indulging in this market.

With more than a Billion active users on Facebook alone potential reach is vast. These trends are becoming as active across Twitter and Instagram as well (100,000 tweets are composed every 10 seconds). But with so many users actively communicating and presenting themselves on Social Media, it is now so key for your restaurant / takeaway to engage with them.

Now it’s nothing new having a business presence on social media, however using it as a direct communication tool for these customers is now vastly important to keep their interest.

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By regularly responding to or engaging with users you give your restaurant a presence and voice of which users remember. Keeping your Restaurant / Takeaway in their feed will keep them coming back.

Think about reaching out to influencers and people with large social media presences. Showcasing them enjoying your food or services will help significantly with consumers interactions.

For more on your social media presence click here.

Online Self-Service Ordering:

Convenience is at the top of many customers priorities today. Online self-service and in house self-service is quickly becoming industry standard for some the biggest fast food restaurants. McDonalds being the clear example that springs to mind. Luckily with the advent of mobile this is no longer an option reserved for just the enormous chains.

Be implementing a simple digital practice within your Restaurant / Takeaway, take advantage of a custom pre ordering and delivery app giving these customers the satisfaction of a quick self-service. Not only will this open further avenues for point of sales in your restaurant, it shows a due diligence to current practices.

Convenience is imperative to this hungry bunch, keep them coming back with a simple system that will also allow you to keep up with this trend.

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Make in Store Collection a Breeze:

In keeping with the theme of convenience, some of your customers may prefer to collect on the way home or don't feel like paying extra for delivery. For those looking the painless option, offer a quick pick up solution. This is one of the best practices for retention for these consumers.

Recent stats show that 40% of 18-35 years olds are ordering in and dining at home mid-week regularly. For those collecting dinner or a snack on the way home from a busy day, the convenience factor is a game changer for getting them back again and again. Allowing for a swift collection process is not only good practice but leaves the buyer with a positive, lasting experience.

With these few quick clicks or taps your customers can keep your business ticking, all with minimal effort on behalf your workers.

For more benefits to having your own app offering a pre order service take a look here.

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Think about your Food:

In most every enterprise fads are an inevitability. Fashion and technology being the most obvious examples, however the food and beverage industry is no exception to the rule.

Understanding trends within the food you are serving is a game changer for a lot of restaurants. It shows active engagement with your customers and particularly benefits those who may need it or be looking to try.

Take for instance Vegan and non-dairy options, trends that arouse in the last two years. Introducing these options and catering to those individuals who engage with this practice leave you open to snatch up more business.

Furthermore going back to your social media presence, advertising this trendy food on photography platforms will giving your restaurant's food a springboard in which you can get customers drooling.

People actively want to keep up with trends why shouldn’t you? It's just good practice!

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Are you interested in launching your restaurant into the digital sphere? Do you want a mobile a optimised restaurant and app to keep track of your online orders? Flipdish offers a fully integrated website and app for your business allowing you to keep up with these good practices, allowing you to succeed.

Fully integrated apps for iOS and Android along with a personal website, search engine optimised for local customers. Take control of your brand and become independent from third party aggregators.

Want read more about some of the reasons your restaurant should offer an online store?

Learn about the different ways Flipdish can advise you on how to improve your online ordering system:


Have questions for us? Contact our Customer Success Team on [email protected]

Interested? Get in touch for a quote today

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