One area restaurant brands should continue to invest in, to encourage direct sales, is the frictionless digital experience.
In the latest report “The future of restaurants: The new normal and beyond” Deloitte found that generally, customers prefer to order through a restaurant’s direct channels. In 2023, 40% of consumers opted to order directly from the restaurant website, versus 13% who expressed a preference for third-party apps or websites.
To protect direct sales, restaurants should work to make their direct-order channels, including delivery fees, equal to or less expensive than third-party options. Another strategy to keep in mind is the continued adoption of digital leading practices across industries. Customers expect the latest digital practices to be adopted across their buying experiences, so restaurants could be wise to look to other industries such as airlines and hotels for inspiration.
One of such startup that is helping eateries engage directly with digital diners is Tablevibe!
Commission-free online ordering start-up established over >650,000 direct relationships between restaurants and their customers over the last year. Tablevibe was founded by a team of ex-Googlers and received US$1.6M in funding from Y Combinator, Velocity Ventures and others.
The startup which is successfully operating in Singapour, Australia and Phillippines provides an online ordering system that enables restaurants to accept pickup and delivery orders independently. Riders are booked automatically at a low flat fee. Tablevibe claims it reduces costs by up to 72% and gives restaurants access to all customer data.
One of Tablevibe’s launch partners is CloudEats, a rapidly expanding cloud kitchen group with operations in both the Philippines and Vietnam. Kimberly Yao, CEO of CloudEats adds: “Tablevibe helps us engage directly with our loyal customers, creates seamless commerce experiences, and offers great delivery fulfillment rates. It’s an exciting new channel for us.”
Restaurants typically use their cost savings to partially cover delivery fees, resulting in lower prices for consumers. Tablevibe’s deep integration with last-mile delivery services allows restaurants to deliver orders instantly without hiring their own drivers.
