a business-building opportunity

Takeaway – a business-building opportunity

Across the total restaurant market, more than half of all visits (57 per cent), are off premise. Granted, these drive- through, takeaway or delivery occasions are dominated by quick-service restaurants, but take-out and delivery from full-service restaurants is nothing to sneeze at, generating more than $3.5 billion in Canada annually.

While still a relatively recent innovation in the industry, offering customers the ease of ordering through the Internet for delivery or pick-up is a growing trend. In 2010, Internet ordering made up less than one per cent of all restaurant traffic, totaling nearly 35 million visits and more than $230 million in Canada. As our world continues to become more wired with expanded use of smart phones and tablets, Internet ordering will be a growing opportunity. Make your customers’ lives easier and more convenient, and they will respond.

The customer who chooses to order takeaway from a full-service restaurant is likely to be someone who is already familiar with the restaurant. That makes marketing in the dining room to current customers a good place to start. To meet the needs of customers who are simply seeking a good meal, without the service and ambiance offered in a visit to the dining room, takeaway can build incremental visits. Ideally, the takeaway usage should be an extra visit, not one that replaces a visit to the dining room, because the takeaway expenditure is typically about $4.50 less per person, excluding tip. A takeaway meal is less likely to include the extras like beverages, and servers don’t have an opportunity to suggestive sell specials and add-ons. A solution is to offer bundled meal specials for takeaway, including main, side, dessert and beverage. Takeaway customers prefer knowing they are getting their entire meal for one set price.