NetWaiter, a premier provider of online ordering and marketing capabilities for restaurants, offers another industry first--integrating QR codes into restaurant marketing. NetWaiter has configured a unique QR Code for every restaurant on the NetWaiter Network. When customers scan a restaurant’s QR code, they are immediately directed to the restaurant’s mobile NetWaiter site and menu.

QR Codes for Restaurants.pdf (137.08 kb)

How can NetWaiter help your restaurant grow?  View it as a consistent marketing tool.

Established restaurants invariably develop a loyal clientele. This clientele is important. You'll often find that up to 80% of a restaurant’s receipts come from this core group of customers.

The key to growth - to continue building this core group of customers - is getting new faces in the door. The best way to do this is through word of mouth. However - in order to get people to spread the word, you have to give them something to talk about.

This is where NetWaiter comes in. NetWaiter offers a unique package of services that can get people talking. The ability to order online is an attention-getter - but NetWaiter also offers other services. Facebook ordering, the ability to order from a Smartphone, and an instant link to your restaurant using your unique QR code are some great examples.

As you and your employees interact with customers, use these NetWaiter features to start a conversation. Impress them with your custom QR code. Get them to save your mobile NetWaiter site on their Smartphone. You might even run a special - a gift card or discount for every customer who shares your restaurant on Facebook or Twitter (they can email you proof).

Without a doubt, you have probably noticed a new phenomenon in print – those funky squares that look like scrambled crossword puzzles. They are QR Codes (Quick Response Codes).

QR codes are popular with today's mobile culture. They read like bar codes when scanned and return information to the user based on how the QR code is setup. Their use in the U.S. catapulted 1,200% during the last six months of 2010. In Japan, where QR codes were developed, it is estimated that 86% of consumers scan at least four QR codes a month.

The best reason to embrace mobile technology, such as QR codes, is to make it more convenient for customers to do business with you. Many restaurant customers have Smartphones. You probably see them "checking-in" to your restaurant using location-based services such as Foursquare or Facebook. As customers continue to embrace Smartphones, mobile marketing will become increasingly important.

To help restaurants promote their mobile site, NetWaiter has configured a unique QR code for every restaurant on the NetWaiter Network. They can be easily accessed from a restaurant’s NetWaiter Management Console. When customers scan a restaurant’s QR code, they are immediately directed to their mobile NetWaiter site and menu.

TIP: Print some NetWaiter QR codes and post them around your restaurant to promote your mobile site and menu to customers. If your restaurant does not have a NetWaiter account, you can activate your account today, at NO CHARGE, and get immediate access to your restaurant's NetWaiter site and unique QR code.

One of the big topics of conversation buzzing around the industry lately is increasing prices. The facts: commodity prices and fuel costs are rising. This comes in conjunction with the last two years of economic recession, when it was hard, if not impossible, for restaurants to raise prices.

Here are some tips on how to strategically raise prices:

1. Don't wait too long to begin raising prices. Once you get behind, it's difficult to catch up and get your prices in line to where they need to be to earn an adequate profit.

2. Don't raise prices across the board. Start by surgically raising prices on a few menu items at a time to avoid "sticker shock". You'll just need to evaluate your prices more often, possibly once a quarter.

3. Use a menu format that can be changed quickly and inexpensively.

If you decide to raise prices, remember to check your online menu. This is where NetWaiter becomes advantageous, because making menu changes online with NetWaiter is a very simple.

There are likely customers within a certain geographical area of your restaurant that are prime targets for your restaurant's online ordering capabilities.

This topic surfaced again during a conversation with the General Manager of a NetWaiter client based in the Seattle, WA area.

"We are right next door to the new Amazon.com offices," said the Manager. "That's huge for business. Those are the kind of customers (office based technology employees) that really use online ordering most."

Okay, so maybe you aren't right next to offices like Amazon.com. Only a few restaurants can be that lucky. But, the fact still remains - you can successfully capitalize on almost any nearby business that has employees “trapped” at their computers and hungry during lunch. Locate the office parks, high-rise buildings, hospitals, and universities in your area. These are target-rich environments, full of employees and students that spend major amounts of time in front of a computer screen each day.

Inexpensive flyers or business cards can be distributed office-by-office, or left on car windshields. You can even include a QR-Code (Quick Response Code) on the flyer for customers to scan with their smartphones. The QR-Code can direct customers to your mobile NetWaiter site for them to view your online menu and easily place orders. Feel free to contact NetWaiter with any questions about targeting ideal customers or setting up a Quick Response Code for your restaurant.

Is online ordering an operational tool or a marketing tool? It is true - NetWaiter is certainly a better way to handle the takeout and delivery orders that come into a restaurant. However, as most restaurant owners discover, NetWaiter is actually a marketing tool.

For example - if you were to ask every guest how they first learned of your restaurant, you would quickly find that about four out of five people learned by referral - word of mouth. Social media - Facebook and Twitter - take word of mouth and put it online where it can grow exponentially. This type of new-age word of mouth advertising is built into every NetWaiter site. When a customer uses their Facebook account to place an order, a link to your site with your logo can be posted on the customer’s Facebook page for all their friends to see. The average Facebook user has over 130 friends. Imagine the impact!

Another significant marketing benefit is the ability to track customers. Of all the means you use to advertise and promote your restaurant, NetWaiter is one you can track. You can immediately see the payoff and have the ability to monitor customers.

Some restaurants spend a lot of money on expensive newspaper and magazine advertisements. They are virtually impossible to track. The only way to measure their impact is to provide some sort of redeemable coupon or discount. As a marketing vehicle, this is usually a losing venture.

So, not only is NetWaiter a marketing tool, it can actually be one of your best marketing assets, along with your website and other online media (email marketing, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

Bottom Line: Investing in the long-term success of your restaurant is a lot better than wasting money on one-time advertisements that cannot be measured. Online customers are the most loyal and profitable type of customer. So, rather than an expensive newspaper ad, you can more effectively leverage your marketing budget by promoting your own online ordering system. Not only will you be making good customers better ones, you will also be making them more profitable.

How important is it for your restaurant to offer online ordering through a mobile site? According to a 2010 study by Morgan Stanley, access to the Internet using mobile devices will overtake desktop/laptop Internet access by 2013.

Smartphone owners tend to use their handheld devices to help with everyday tasks. If given an option, will they call your restaurant from their cell phone to place an order? Probably not. The last time they called, they were put on hold and rushed to complete their order. With their smartphone, your menu is in front of them, they don’t have to wait on hold, and it’s accurate, fast, and paid for.

Online ordering is all about using technology for greater customer convenience. We at NetWaiter want to extend convenience to your customers any way possible. Mobile ordering is a great step to providing the ultimate convenience to your customers and is only getting bigger. If your customers are going mobile, your restaurant needs to go mobile.

NetWaiter was recently featured in QSR Magazine in an article about online ordering and the use of Facebook and social media for the restaurant industry. 

QSR Article - NetWaiter Facebook Ordering.pdf (254.00 kb)

The New Year (like any other time of the year) is a good time to implement strategies that can boost sales and profits. Don’t overlook opportunities with online ordering. In fact, it can be a great starting point. Consider adding a special dish only available online or try distributing ‘secret’ promotional codes with each receipt to drive repeat business from customers within a certain timeframe.

You can also start cultivating an ‘ownership’ of your online ordering system with your employees. Develop a short pitch employees can deliver when speaking with customers. It should be brief and upbeat:

“Are you familiar with our online ordering capabilities? You can order takeout from us online with your computer or smartphone. It’s easy. Just check out our website, click “Order Online”, and make your selections. You can even use your Facebook account to login.”

Remember - online ordering is not only a way to attract new business, but also a way to make good customers better ones. This year – resolve to make better customers!

Valentine’s Day Sales Tip - Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, is a big day for restaurants. HOWEVER - not everyone wants to make a reservation and spend a ton of money. Think about offering a Valentine’s Day takeout special that includes an appetizer, dinner, and dessert for two. It’s a great way to get business from the sweethearts that want to spend the night at home!

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, when it comes to getting your restaurant more online exposure, it can seem a little daunting.  It’s actually not that hard.  With just a few moments of your time, you can establish accounts with a number of online sites that will provide your restaurant more online exposure.  NetWaiter can help walk you through the basics:

Accepting Orders Online - This is easy.  If you’re considering NetWaiter, or already have an account, an online ordering site is provided for your restaurant.  In addition, a mobile site customized for your restaurant is also provided, giving customers maximum accessibility to your restaurant and menu.  Best of all – it’s very easy to setup.

Make a Name for Yourself and Get Connected - This is important.  If customers become more aware of your restaurant online, it will drive sales, both online and in-house.  Also, if you don’t monitor your online presence, you won’t know what is being said about your restaurant - good or bad!

While the Internet evolves daily, every restaurant can benefit from joining a few major websites.  Click on any of the following for a step-by-step guide to creating an account.  Here’s an overview:


- Driven by actual customers, who can add information, photos, and reviews of your restaurant.



- Maintained by Google (they’re a tiny company, maybe you’ve heard of them?).  This is where a lot of customers will land when doing a web search for your restaurant based on name, type of food, and/or area.



- Quickly growing as a competitor to Yelp!  Insider Pages is more of a “listing” service, while Citysearch contains a lot of what Yelp! has and more.



- A basic listing/review website with an easy to use interface.  One of the first to have an iPhone application and is now starting to get into online reservations.



- Foursquare is quickly growing as the mobile “check in” app.  Users can “check in” to your restaurant when they’re physically there and let their friends know what they’re up to.  As a restaurant owner, you can offer them discounts/perks for checking-in and/or being a frequent customer.

It’s no surprise that it’s the holiday season.  The big sales, endless carols, and countless commercials for the Snuggie® would have tipped you off if you hadn’t looked at your calendar recently.

Another nice thing about the holiday season: office meetings.  Office meetings are common this time of year as company employees collaborate to finish projects for 2010 and start planning for 2011.  This makes it a perfect time to take advantage of large takeout orders during lunch.

A Few Tips:
1)    Make sure your guests are aware that your restaurant is PERFECT for lunch orders.  Put up a sign, have employees tell customers in-person, and send out emails.  December and January are great months to take advantage of these orders, so continue promoting them into 2011.
2)    Try offering a discount for large orders.  For instance, setup a discount offer (either a percentage or fixed amount) for lunch orders that are $50 or more.
3)    You can also try offering a free item that is good for sharing OR a complimentary dessert for the group if they order above a certain amount.  (A dozen cookies will ALWAYS be well received by a group of employees.)

Restaurants across the country offering online ordering through NetWaiter can now offer the same service to diners using their Internet-enabled Smartphones.  The service, launched in early November, automatically became available to restaurants using NetWaiter, and their customers.

Mobile Ordering.pdf (132.37 kb)

NetWaiter, creators of one of the most innovative online ordering systems for restaurants, has taken their product a step further with the addition of two Facebook interfaces, bringing online ordering into the realm of social media.  "To our knowledge, NetWaiter is the first online ordering provider to offer this capability," said Jared Shimoff, a senior director at NetWaiter.

Facebook for NetWaiter.pdf (129.39 kb)

There are two major types of online ordering providers: Portal-Based Sites and Site-Based Systems.

As many know, portals group a number of restaurants on one website for diners to search and find restaurants based on a variety of criteria.  It’s typically free for a restaurant to get listed and restaurants simply pay a percentage of each order.  At first glance, Portal-Based Sites appear to be a good deal - they’re inexpensive to join and restaurants don’t pay anything unless they get business.

But, let’s look further. Most portals show the same exact listing for every restaurant, offering no individuality or branding capabilities.  In addition, a restaurant’s ability to control their information and menu is often minimal.  This leads to errors and customers can receive false information.  Furthermore, if a restaurant links their own website to their portal listing, they are powerless to stop would-be customers from ordering at a different restaurant.  If a customer did click from a restaurant’s website and completed their order, the restaurant ends up paying the portal fee (which could be as high as 15%-25%) - for an order that originated from their own site!

Many restaurant owners are simply dissatisfied with the results and headaches of being listed on a portal.  They joined a portal (or many portals) because they saw it as a riskless opportunity and didn’t realize the downfalls until later.  Errors, customer complaints, and not receiving proper payment from the portal are plenty of reasons to be upset.

Restaurants with the most successful online ordering businesses use a Site-Based System (like NetWaiter) with integrated marketing functionality.  Successful restaurant owners using their own custom site realize they can reap huge rewards if they promote the service to customers.  For example, a restaurant that recently started with NetWaiter immediately began pushing their site to customers using Twitter, Facebook, store signage, and messages on their receipts.  Within six months, their NetWaiter site helped them to almost double their takeout business.  Orders roll in every day.

The functionality and benefits empower restaurants to take ‘an ownership’ in their online ordering business.  The ability to provide customers a seamless and branded ordering process is also very valuable.  Best of all, because the fees are substantially less than a portal, restaurant owners recognize the savings and know that promoting their own online site will not cost them an ‘arm and a leg’ or drive sales to other restaurants.

As of early November, all NetWaiter clients have their own custom mobile site.

Restaurants across the country offering online ordering through NetWaiter can now receive orders from customers using Internet-enabled smartphones.  The service, launched earlier this month, automatically became available to NetWaiter clients and their customers.  Analytics from NetWaiter already show a brisk business from this new mobile capability.

NetWaiter’s technology is able to determine when a customer is accessing a client’s site using a mobile device.  Customers can simply access any NetWaiter site from a smartphone (i.e. iPhone, Android) and the system will automatically recognize the mobile device and display the appropriate mobile site, making navigation simple.

Based on conservative estimates, there are more than 50 million smartphones operating in the U.S.  Knowing that most smartphone owners quickly adapt to everything they do, including online ordering, NetWaiter expects this capability to be huge for clients and their customers.

Nothing is required by restaurants to enable this new feature.  Mobile accessibility is part of every service package at no additional charge.

Blue Moon Burgers in Seattle, WA, combines online ordering with social media--Twitter and Facebook.  The result is a 100% increase in business in the South Lake Union store in eight months.

Blue Moon using NetWaiter.pdf (160.19 kb)

They say, "So goes California, so goes the rest of the country." This article, from the Silicon Valley Mercury News, addresses the growing regulation of food trucks that are quickly becoming a large part of the dining scene in Los Angeles.

Unlike traditional food trucks that cater to workers while on break, this new wave of trucks park in high-traffic areas and serve a higher quality of food, often with their own specialties. According to this article, some counties have received complaints by restaurant owners that these trucks steal business. Consequently, some cities, such as Rancho Palos Verdes and Palos Verdes Estates, have enacted zoning restrictions on when and where the trucks can operate.

Thankfully, by the end of the year, food truck customers in California can expect to see the same health quality ratings they see at normal brick and mortar restaurants. This doesn’t necessarily “level the playing field” for regular restaurants to compete with food trucks, but will help educate customers about their health quality.

So, how do restaurants compete with this food truck invasion? Some have actually decided to join them – and launched their own food trucks. Others have focused on convenience factors and their communication tactics. For instance, many food trucks rely heavily on Twitter to communicate their daily whereabouts. Brick and mortar restaurants that are inundated by food trucks should step up their Twitter communication and takeout business. Ordering takeout online in advance is definitely a way customers can capitalize on your restaurant’s convenience.

Do food trucks affect your restaurant? Let us know how. Email us at mailto:[email protected]. Does your restaurant operate a food truck? We want to hear your story. Email us at [email protected].

Do you have promotions you only offer to certain customers and others you want to share with the world?

NetWaiter now offers the ability to set promotions as public or private. When creating a new promotion, restaurants can choose to display it on their NetWaiter site. If a new promotion is made public, it will show in the “Available Promotions” section on the restaurant’s site. If the promotion expires, it is automatically removed from the site.

For private promotions, restaurants can simply choose not to display them on their site. For instance, if a restaurant wants to generate a promotion for a select group of customers, they can prevent it from displaying on their site and email it directly to the intended customers using NetWaiter’s Email Marketing System.`

It's common for restaurant employees to be familiar with the daily specials or a new dessert that hasn’t yet made it to the menu, but are you using your wait staff to their fullest when it comes to promoting your online ordering system?

Maybe not.

Make sure that your waiters and waitresses can inform customers about your online menu and ordering site.  Talk about how convenient it is for customers - reduced wait time, greater accuracy, and easy accessibility.  You can even demonstrate it to them at a staff meeting.

Also, make sure your employees are well versed on all of the latest features.  For instance, in the last few months, NetWaiter has added an ordering interface with Facebook, and more recently, the easy ability for customers to order from their mobile phones.  Your employees can help spread the word about new capabilities.

Some employees may be concerned that referring customers to your online menu will reduce their ability to make tips.  This is certainly not an issue.  Tipping is part of the ordering and dining experience.  If they help to create happy customers, they are going to get tips, and online ordering definitely makes for happier customers.