Online food ordering is common. People place deliveries, wait at home and answer the doorbell when the delivery driver arrives. Restaurants, especially pizzerias and sandwich shops, have been offering this type of service for a long time.
But today's diners are changing the way that they order with pre-ordering.
Pre-orders are the same as a customer calling to schedule food pickup. You can offer this service in a few ways:
- Phone
- Online
- App
Your goal is to have a quick and easy way for customers to place their order for pickup. Life is busy. Some people want to come into your eatery but don't have the time to sit down. Pre-orders allow them to pick up their food and be on their way.
It helps make takeaway easier, and from a business standpoint, it offers a lot of benefits.
The Benefits of Offering Restaurant Pre-Order Options
Restaurant pre-order helps restaurant owners do a few things:
Improve Your Kitchen Staff's Efficiency
Offering a takeout reservation helps generate more business, but it goes well beyond this single benefit. Kitchen staff is (in most kitchens) often pushed to their limits and need to rush orders all night long to keep them flowing in a timely manner.
By offering pre-orders, you're:
- Creating a smoother workflow for your kitchen staff.
- Providing a faster service while still maintaining a higher food standard.
Pre-orders will stop some customers from coming up, waiting for their food and pushing staff to work faster. People can order anywhere they like, you tell them when their order is ready (or when it will be ready), and you keep their satisfaction levels high.
If you put the right systems in place, you'll streamline pre-orders and your backend.
Streamline Orders and Reduce Wait Times
Long wait times reduce customer satisfaction and lead to complaints and even bad reviews. You always want to make your guests happy, and pre-orders help you reach this goal. Pre-ordering meals will:
- Entice customers to order takeout rather than deter them from doing so.
- Boost repeat customers and positive reviews, both of which are good for business.
- Make it easier for people to schedule your restaurant into their daily lives.
Your eatery is up against an immense amount of competition. Others are going the extra mile to retain customers and keep them eating at their restaurants. When you offer the option to pre-order, it's another avenue to retain patrons.
Increase Your Restaurant's Revenue
Pre-orders are an opportunity to increase your revenue because customers:
- Purchase larger orders when they pre-order.
- Are easily upsold, allowing you to sell more to them than you could otherwise.
You'll find that when people are in the comfort of their own homes or ordering from your app in their car, they'll spend more time "treating themselves." For example, a person may add an appetizer that they would otherwise skip or a dessert to the order.
Monitor average ticket sizes for pre-orders and see how they compare to regular ticket averages.
Reduce Food Waste and Streamline Inventory Management
Your pre-orders allow you to reduce food waste by increasing orders. For your back-of-house staff, they'll learn how to streamline inventory even further by projecting pre-orders.
How to Implement a Pre-Order Takeout System
There are so many benefits to offering pre-order options at your restaurant. But if you don't already have a system in place, you may be wondering where to start.
We'll walk you through every step to ensure a smooth transition and implementation.
1. Select a Platform
If you're just getting started with online ordering and takeout, then you'll need to select an ordering system. Another option is to use a food delivery app that will allow your customers to schedule food pickup whenever it's most convenient for them.
Compare your options and select the platform that aligns with your goals for pre-ordering and won't eat too much into your profits.
2. Adjust Your Menu for Pre-Ordering
Once you've selected a platform, you can start adjusting your menu for pre-order meals. First, make sure your online menu is easy to navigate and includes professional, visually-appealing images of your dishes.
To encourage larger and high-margin orders, highlight some of your best-sellers and more expensive dishes. Offer bundled meal options to appeal to families or larger crowds and boost the ticket value.
If some of your dishes aren't optimal for pre-orders, omit them if possible. This will help ensure that guests only have a positive experience when ordering from your restaurant.
3. Implement Smart Pickup Processes
Customers will expect their orders to be ready at their designated time when they arrive.
To meet their expectations, you'll need to have efficient pickup and hand-off processes in place.
Here are some tips:
- Set designated pickup times to ensure staff is prepared for pre-orders
- Have a designated area for pre-order pickups to ensure a seamless experience
- Ensure your staff is trained to handle pre-orders efficiently
The more detailed and clear your processes are, the more likely you are to deliver a positive customer experience.
4. Promote Your Pre-Order Option
Once you have your system and processes in place, you can start promoting your pre-order option.
There are so many ways to get the word out about your pre-orders:
- In-restaurant advertising
- Social media
- Email marketing
Educate your customers on how the process works, so they know how easy it is to place a pre-order.
To sweeten the deal, consider offering a discount on first-time orders.
5. Review and Adjust as Needed
Just like anything else in your restaurant, it's important to review and assess your pre-order options from time to time.
Consider whether pre-orders are helping you reach your goals or if you need to make some adjustments.
Pay attention to customer feedback to refine your ordering process and continue delivering a positive experience.
The goal is to refine and improve your system over time to maximize efficiency and quality.
The Takeaway
Giving customers the option to pre-order meals can help boost sales and profits, but you need the right system to set yourself up for success. Follow our guide above to maximize the benefits of pre-ordering and ensure a smooth implementation.