A growing fast-casual chain on its journey to ramp up digital channels and improve its customer experience faced a new obstacle in 2020 – the coronavirus pandemic. The burger brand, already partnered with Tillster, tasked us with ensuring that their business not only survived the pandemic but grew coming out of COVID.

When the pandemic hit, everything changed. Restaurants that once relied entirely on in-person dining suddenly needed a curbside program. Bars that mainly leaned into alcohol sales started improving the food menu. And, the slow-to-adopt started sprinting towards launching digital programs. Consumers, meanwhile, defined new paths for their dollar. They became more community conscious, more supportive of the local restaurants and small businesses they love, and more likely to discover other new local establishments.

During the current coronavirus pandemic, restaurant brands have adopted new practices and processes to meet today’s customer's ever-changing needs. We expect some of these changes to be more long term than first predicted, especially as we are still unsure what “normal” post-pandemic will look like.

The COVID-19 pandemic placed the restaurant industry in a sustained state of pivot as guest preferences and city ordinances continue to evolve and change. Third-party app integration, in-house pickup and delivery, and new digital tools are just a few of the new processes that brands are deploying to maintain sales.

Last year, restaurant brands were finding new ways to stand out in the crowded marketplace by trolling one another on social media. But, this year, COVID-19 disrupted everything, and restaurants were forced to adapt, causing a shift in tone across the board.

Few industries have felt the kind of drastic shift than that of our economic model of food during the current global pandemic. One of the main reasons being that customer behavior and expectations have changed

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to evolve, so does the world around it, which continues to be true for QSRs. Tillster’s Chief Marketing Officer, Hope Neiman, shared a few ideas for restaurant brands continuing to navigate the COVID-19 crisis with QSR.

COVID-19 is impacting every industry and nearly all facets of everyday life, and many states and cities are implementing new social distancing guidelines for operations, including the restriction of dining-in at restaurants, and a shift to pick up and delivery models.  The memo to the quick-service restaurant industry in the U.S. is clear: your brand must ensure it has the right technology to support no-contact ordering now and for the foreseeable future.

Even in times of uncertainty, the restaurant industry can identify new ways to meet customer needs and expectations. As our CMO Hope Neiman shared with Forbes, “The greatest detail lies in knowing your customers, understanding their anxiety (as well as your own) and compassionately fulfilling their needs.”

It’s no surprise that as states across America issued stay-at-home orders, mobile phone usage increased. In fact, according to Comscore, March 2020 mobile phone data usage grew by more than 50 percent over 2019. Understanding this shift in consumer habits, Tillster’s CMO, Hope Neiman, penned an article for QSR outlining how restaurants can navigate these unprecedented times through a branded mobile app.

The era of the self-service kiosk at QSR and Fast Casual restaurants is here to stay. In 2019, self-service kiosk sales rose 17.9% to more than $11.9 billion. It’s likely that kiosk usage will continue in an exponential growth trajectory in 2020, and restaurant brands should take note.

The average smartphone user spends more than four hours a day on their device, with an array of opportunities available at every swipe. While endless options are a benefit to consumers, they represent a challenge for restaurant brands: how to increase customer loyalty in a crowded digital market.

Our CEO, Perse Faily, penned an article for Kiosk Marketplace discussing how and why consumer demand for restaurant kiosks is on the rise. The demand for kiosks is surely up, a fact that our latest Self-Service Kiosk Index proves: 25% of customers surveys reported using a self-service ordering kiosk at a restaurant in the last three months, up 7% from the previous year. A key driver for the demand for self-service options: lines at the counter.

While there are many facets to the restaurant experience (i.e. environment, staff, food quality, etc.), a relatively new force is taking over the conversation. For the restaurant industry, the answer to the positive experience question might just be technology.

More than ever before, QSR and fast casual establishments in the U.S. are considering kiosks, and for good reason. Kiosks expedite the ordering process. And, at a time when your guests can get what they want in two days from e-commerce sites like Amazon, speed is everything.  

For the third year in a row Tillster partnered with research firm SSI to survey 2,000 QSR and Fast Casual customers on their online and mobile ordering preferences and past experiences. Download the Tillster Online & Mobile Ordering Index to help craft your brand’s digital ordering strategy.

Though restaurant kiosks continue to grow in popularity, it is important to weigh all the factors involved - especially customer preferences - to ensure they are utilized appropriately for your business. For the third year in a row, Tillster partnered with research firm SSI to survey 2,000 QSR & Fast Casual customers on how self-service kiosks impact guest behavior. The Tillster Self-Service Kiosk Index uncovers these findings to help restaurants understand how to optimize kiosks for their brand,

For the third year in a row, Tillster partnered with research firm SSI to survey 2,000 QSR and Fast Casual customers on their delivery preferences and past experiences. The Tillster Delivery Index reveals these findings to help restaurants craft their delivery strategy.

Tillster is proud to announce that our client, McAlister’s Deli, won the 2018 MURTEC Breakthrough Award in the category of Customer Engagement Innovator. Breakthrough Awards are presented to select restaurant companies that have demonstrated outstanding vision and achievement in operational and guest-facing technologies.

Despite all the evidence in favor of kiosks, many restaurant operators struggle with an important question: Is the investment worth it? We recommend taking a look at the factors below to determine if your restaurant is a good candidate for kiosks.  Drawing certain expectations should help you determine your anticipated ROI…