May 31, 2023
Devn Ratz

Online Ordering for Restaurants: Hard Data Says It's No Longer Optional

No matter how you look at it, online ordering for restaurants means more money. Integrated online ordering solutions help restaurants tap into new revenue. Then, online ordering for on-premise guests maximizes existing revenue as well. 

Millennials aged 24 to 39 (72 million Americans) still favor online ordering after the pandemic. They also make up the largest portion of the money-earning workforce according to US Census data.

Food and hospitality businesses seeking massive growth should consider every value proposition for restaurant online ordering. Explore the rise of online order sales, and see the nine reasons to choose Revolution Ordering for new business at scale.

Key Takeaway: Online ordering maximizes restaurant performance by reaching new markets and making more money from off-premise ordering preferences.
Speed your adoption of online ordering for restaurants with a guide from Revolution Ordering.

The Rise of Online Ordering for Restaurants

Today, an electronic ordering system for restaurants reaches tech-centric millennials and Gen Z to sustain business growth in the digital age. The rise of restaurant online ordering platforms has created a multi-billion dollar category over recent decades.

Everything started in the late 2000s with the internet’s adoption. Younger millennials learned to shop early on from their computers because of websites like eBay and Amazon. They saw the value of convenience while shopping and shifted their habits.

The popularity of online ordering for restaurants predicts more and more deliveries, conveniences, and personalization in the $1 trillion category.

Businesses then saw smartphones, their apps, and global connectivity transform consumer convenience. After 2010, shopping apps like Instacart and UberEats sped up and popularized food, grocery, and restaurant delivery software.

Now, after the 2020 pandemic, online ordering is a normal part of your consumer’s life. COVID-19’s global health crisis surged online orders, food tech, and expectations of ease. The modern and future consumer still slants toward restaurant online ordering.

In 2021, 60% of American customers ordered delivery at least once per week. A third actually reported using a third-party delivery service provider at least twice per week. According to the National Restaurant Association, 50% of customers say delivery makes them more likely to choose your restaurant over another.

The Future of Restaurant Online Ordering

For businesses new to online ordering, Gen Z and millennial customers have the promise of consistency. They are also three times more likely to order food delivery than older customers. 

Online ordering for restaurants can revolutionize business operations and fuel sales.

Their shopping habits and spending patterns show they prefer spending more on custom, conscious experiences. Keep sustainable technology in mind as you learn the latest restaurant customer trends and aim to reduce carbon footprints:

  • More online spending by millennials. Research says Gen Z and millennials will increase their online spending, year over year. They favor convenience, instant gratification, and online ordering offers.
  • Strong preferences for personalization. These generations like their dining experiences unique and customized. Engaging customers with digital experiences and custom loyalty programs makes businesses stand out in a crowded market.
  • Attracted to sustainable packaging solutions. More than any other group, millennials and Gen Z want to protect the planet. Businesses that offer safe, sustainable deliveries (especially with plant-based options) fare better with these values.

To capture your share of billions and billions of orders, your business should rely on restaurant technology that enhances customer experience. That means greater efficiency and profitability from off-premise solutions for enterprise by Revolution Ordering. 

9 Advantages of the Online Ordering Restaurant Revolution

Integrating existing POS systems creates a smooth customer experience. Revolution Ordering's interface is simple and easy to use, allowing you to train your staff more efficiently, instantly update menus, and boost customer acquisition

Maximize order performance to speed up processes and maximize profits. Revolution Ordering powers online ordering for large restaurants, hospitality clients, and food businesses.

1. Integrate systems easily.

When you integrate existing POS systems with Revolution Ordering, you can combine all sales channels into a seamless experience. As part of your restaurant tech stack, we’ll help you link systems (like inventory management) for real-time order tracking.

App integrations also mean automations. Speed up routine tasks like data entry, syncing, and reporting while enabling a smoother customer experience through your preferred restaurant CRM. Easy integration also enables snappy adoption.

2. Train employees quickly.

You’ll train staff more efficiently with Revolution Ordering’s simple and intuitive interface. In the process, you can reduce errors with crisp, automated order processes that aid service and customer satisfaction through order histories. 

Our resources, tutorials, and learning opportunities can teach any staff to effectively use our mobile-friendly, integrate-and-go solution. They’ll get more profitable, enjoyable work as business expands.

3. Update menus instantly.

Whether you want to update offers, descriptions, items, or prices—Revolution Ordering makes improvements in seconds. Use the newfound speed to highlight specials, promote offers, and remove customer disappointment from sold-out or unavailable items.

Optimizing digital menu ordering now happens in a matter of minutes. Add dietary information, labels, items, and updates to improve sales. Revolution Ordering stays with you from order to door as you promote online ordering and your business.

4. Promote your restaurant.

Revolution Ordering supports restaurants as they showcase the highest-quality images, descriptions, and recipes across platforms and third-party apps. We’ll help you attract new customers and push them to act on deals and new items through custom notifications.

This kind of personalization will help you gain a wider marketing reach and increase restaurant sales from online, off-premise visibility. Our technology integrates nicely into the tools that already aid your restaurant’s revenue.

5. Add ordering to your site.

Get a user-friendly ordering platform directly on your site. Then, ensure you’re reaching mobile technology-oriented customers who prefer on-the-go ordering. Use custom optimizations, engaging CTAs, and multiple secure payments. 

When your customer has these custom incentives—you can easily satisfy new market segments. It’s also simple to manage customer expectations through delivery updates and estimates on your customer’s preferred channel.

6. Offer deals and exclusives.

Launch personal and exclusive online promotions with Revolution Ordering. Our restaurant software features can help you implement a loyalty program to reward repeat orders. We’ll also make recommendations based on their order history. 

Through combo deals, restaurant discounts, and special offers, you’ll increase the average order value. This can be helpful when slower periods of business need a sales driver.

7. Streamline order experiences.

Since the online-ordering customer prefers simplicity and speed, Revolution Ordering simplifies the process. We save order histories for effortless re-order and offer real-time order monitoring for convenience.

On the business side, we ensure loading times stay swift while you offer an ordering experience with robust restaurant payment technology. It includes plenty of personalization for customers and food costing software features for you.

8. Collect customer information.

As customers continue to make orders, businesses can use saved customer data to make restaurant marketing and sales efforts more effective. Personalize your promotions and ads by knowing customer preferences, order histories, and helpful feedback.

Revolution Ordering will help you collect reviews after each order to improve service and restaurant exposure. We can also analyze order patterns to give you insight into business optimizations and sales strategies.

9. Maximize order performance.

Built to scale, Revolution Ordering automatically manages high order volume to optimize restaurant performance and speed up processes. Our food delivery management systems reduce human error and automate tasks to increase efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Revolution Ordering powers the online ordering experience for enterprise restaurants, hospitality clients, and food businesses. We ensure you’re ready for surges in activity and demands on inventory as you launch off-premise ordering.

How Restaurant Businesses Adapt to Online Ordering

When it comes to how each restaurant adapts to the new American consumer, we’ve noticed they appreciate simplicity and value. That’s why enterprise-level businesses prefer software solutions that integrate seamlessly with their existing restaurant technology. 

Most often, the best solution seems to be a combination of software and hardware. This is true for restaurants that juggle tablets, terminals, and devices to coordinate orders, on-premise or off-premise. 

POS-Integrated Online Ordering Technology

For those who know the nightmare of misaligned software and hardware, the better option is subscription-based cloud technology for restaurants. 

Restaurant SaaS innovations allow all the same functionality as hardware-required solutions while simplifying, unifying, and clarifying operational efficiency.

Benefits for Small, Medium, and Enterprise Business 

When small, medium, or large enterprises choose to revolutionize their restaurants with POS-integrated online ordering platform, they benefit from consistent support as well as innovative, custom software:

  • Get Revolution Ordering support 7 days a week
  • Access eager off-site markets for more sales
  • Boost overall restaurant efficiency and ops
  • Work with us to develop custom features 

Restaurant online ordering brings many interconnected and positive benefits for restaurant leadership, staff, and their customers. They demo Revolution Ordering is often to increase sales without disrupting their current technology or processes.

Online ordering for restaurants digitally transforms business through Revolution Ordering's sustainable, integrated technology.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Ordering for Restaurants

Online ordering enables restaurants to compete for the growing number of off-premise orders most customers prefer. Explore common questions to see how these systems work, receive orders, and help restaurants grow in the digital age. 

How does a restaurant online ordering system work?

The best online ordering systems integrate with your restaurant’s website, mobile apps, and POS systems to give customers a streamlined experience. As customers visit, they’re able to access the platform, view menus, select items, and complete orders for curbside pick-up or delivery.

Restaurant online ordering systems often make businesses more efficient and convenient for customers through rich features:

  • Real-time menu updates
  • Customer data collection
  • Instant order tracking
  • Simple menu optimization
  • Better marketing personalization
  • Customer data insights

How do restaurants receive online orders?

Restaurants usually receive online orders through their point-of-sale (POS) system. Online ordering platforms send these order details to the restaurant's POS system. This gets staff ready to prepare, deliver, and present the order.

Many restaurants also take advantage of email, text-to-order, or push notifications for orders. Others prefer staff use separate devices for online orders. Regardless, Revolution Ordering is ready to integrate into your workflow.

Should restaurants have an online food ordering system?

In a digital age, online food ordering has become a necessity for restaurants as customers continue to prefer the convenience. Through Revolution Ordering, restaurants add an off-premise solution to reach a wider market with more profitable offers.

Having online ordering also maintains a lifeline for restaurants that might lose business when on-premise dining stops short. After the initial investment, “order-ready” businesses learn how to improve restaurant operations  online as others fail to survive.

Are there downsides to online ordering for restaurants?

Some of the few risks that enabling online ordering presents is the possibility of delivery mistakes and security breaches. These make choosing a supportive software partner the conclusion of risk assessment for a restaurant

Get highly compliant software to securely process payments, communicate deliveries, and manage routes. This is the best way to protect your restaurant, order accuracy, and customer experience from restaurant industry risks.

What are the benefits of POS-integrated online ordering?

With online ordering and curbside pickup, increased order volumes are easily captured, assigned, and fulfilled. Restaurant owners benefit from integrated online ordering first by improving customer experiences of digital menu ordering. 

Our restaurant online ordering system allows for seamless integration with existing restaurant technology. By choosing integrated online ordering, you streamline operations and better meet customers where they prefer it:

  • Improves customer experience by providing a website design, menu ordering, and branded app experiences
  • Offers seamless online ordering and curbside pickup, easily gained through existing restaurant POS platforms
  • Reduces risk of software and hardware hiccups with custom integration with your ecosystem
  • Improves customer service with QR codes and social media marketing integration features
  • Streamlines operations, can lower food costs, and increase customer retention, acquisition, and other restaurant KPIs

Achieve these benefits through POS-integrated food tech from Revolution Ordering. Rather than percentages, our monthly fee provides a comprehensive solution for restaurant owners to scale without raising operating expenses.

Expand into the Online Ordering Revolution

More sales alone makes online ordering a worthwhile consideration for your business. 

Add on the advantage of a competitive edge in a crowded market, and it’s clear why enterprise restaurants choose our integrated ordering software. 

To enable off-premise ordering and maximize potential sales, schedule your demo with Revolution Ordering. 

Discover the power of online ordering for restaurants with this eBook from Revolution Ordering.