Staying Busy After Valentine's Day

Drawing in customers throughout February is easy with a cohesive marketing plan. Pay attention to this month’s National Food Holidays and your specials will practically make themselves for you! All you’ll have to do is spread the word via social media and email marketing.

1. National Drink Wine Day (Feb. 18)

There’s nothing like enjoying a glass of wine on a date night or with great friends after a long day of work. Let your guests relax and indulge with a glass, bottle, or even a flight at a discounted rate in honor of National Drink Wine Day this month. Consider starting an email marketing campaign to let your most loyal customers know what the promotion includes, and when you’ll be running it.

2. National Margarita Day (Feb. 22)

Since its initial debut in the restaurant world, the margarita has become a versatile fan favorite for many. It’s not uncommon to find creative margaritas on the drink menus of many different types of restaurants—which just might be what makes them so appealing. Tempt your guests this month by eclusively offering one of these irresistible variations of the classic marg! BOGO anyone?

3. National Strawberry Day (Feb. 27)

Continue a Valentine’s Day theme all month long with all things strawberry! These delicious and often heart-shaped berries are the perfect addition to so many dishes, snacks, and drinks. Try your hand at a delectable house made strawberry semifreddo, or go for something even more unique, like strawberry tomato sauce. Either way, we're pretty confident that your guests will come in to try something new and exciting.

Head over to Foodimentary for even more fun food centered holidays and ideas!

2 More Days Worth Celebrating this Month

Believe it or not, there’s much more to celebrate in February than just football, love, and food. Read on for tips on how to bring in more customers surrounding some of the lesser-celebrated holidays and events going on this month.

1. Groundhog Day (Feb. 2)

The appeal of Groundhog Day wears off as we get older (especially when Punxsutawney Phil tells us to expect 6 more weeks of winter), but can you remember the excitement surrounding it as a kid? Bring some of that excitement back this year and create a buzz online with a Groundhog Day themed promotion that not only draws people to your business, but also encourages people to join your mailing list.

Here’s how it works: Send a poll to your mailing list asking whether or not they believe Phil will see his shadow. Those who make an accurate prediction receive a free drink with the purchase of an entrée. Of course, use your judgment on the promo you chose, and definitely use social media to let people know about this promotion beforehand, so that people hurry to join your mailing list.

2. Random Acts of Kindness Day (Feb. 17)

Random Acts of Kindness Day was founded to celebrate paying it forward—do something good for someone else, and something good will come back to you. It’s easy to forget this mentality, especially as we’re faced with new challenges that often make us forget to look on the bright side. Use this day as an opportunity to spread positivity and to remind your community of the simple act of giving. Get involved by donating a certain amount of your profit on February 17th to the local (or national) organization of your choice, and offer something special—like BOGO drinks or appetizers—to draw in larger crowds.

Convenience Is Trending In 2019

Fast. Easy. Now. These are the words that are becoming increasingly more important to consumers when it comes to making purchases. More and more people are prioritizing convenience over cost, and it’s not just millennials we’re talking about here. Within the past year, 67% of people said that they went for the “buy online, pickup in store” route over traditional methods of shopping—and retail isn’t the only industry experiencing a shift. According to Toast's 2019 Restaurant Industry Stats, consumers said that online ordering is one of the most important technology features for restaurants; they want to be able to order their food quickly, and eat it comfortably in the convenience of their own home. In fact, 70% of restaurant traffic will be off-premise dining by 2020, according to the National Restaurant Association. 

No—this doesn’t mean that the inside of your establishment will be rolling with tumbleweeds in 2020. It just means that with a well-functioning online ordering system, your sales can seriously boost. Think about it: if your customers begin to place orders online rather than calling and speaking to an employee who would then have to repeat the order (possibly multiple times) to make sure it’s correct, that’s one employee who already can be more productive, and one order that has zero chance of being prepared incorrectly. So, online ordering becomes convenient for not only the customer, but for you too. 

If following trends isn't your thing, trust us—this is one trend you don't want to skip. 

The Real Way Consumers Order Takeout 

Choosing the right online ordering platform for your business might seem overwhelming, but at the end of the day, you need to go with a platform that meets the expectations of your customers—or else they’ll order from another business. 

What are my customers looking for?

We’ve done our research and as it turns out, consumers are more likely to place an order from your own website than from a 3rd party site. Why? There’s a level of trust involved here, and your customers trust you and your employees much more than someone they don’t know at Grubhub or Doordash. That being said, it’s crucial that your online ordering platform maintains your branding—same colors, fonts, and of course, your own logo. When a customer feels comfortable and confident while placing an online order, it’s much more likely that they’ll add even more items to the order, which means a bigger check size for you.

In addition to appearance, your online ordering platform needs to be easy to use, for both your customers and you. Placing, receiving, and fulfilling orders is easier than ever with Online Ordering PRO, an online ordering platform custom-built for you by Ordereze. Ready to take the next step and learn more about how Online Ordering PRO can help earn you more orders and retain happy customers? Contact us today!

Guy Fieri Visits an Omaha Gem

We love keeping up with our customers online, but seeing them on TV is even better! If you want to see behind the scenes of one of the best cafes in Omaha, tune in to the Food Network at 8 PM CST on 2/1/19 to see Amato's on Guy Fieri's Triple D Nation. Recognize the name? That might be because the Amato family has already been visited twice by Guy Fieri and featured on his hit show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We can't wait to see them wow the face of the Food Network once again!

Celebrating 2 Rockstar Employees

Meet our latest Team Member of the Month, Kristina!

Ordereze start date (approx.): June 4, 2018   
Current position: Customer Success Specialist 
Favorite thing about Ordereze: My favorite thing about working at Ordereze is all the support I get. From my colleagues to upper management, everyone is always ready to help each other perform our jobs to the best of our abilities. It really is a company that cares about its employees and customers. 
Favorite part of your job: My favorite part of my job is the social media marketing. It can be a little daunting coming up with new content for such a fast-paced medium, but it keeps you on your toes and allows you to flex those creative muscles. I also love branding and crafting personalities for businesses, and social media is such a useful tool for that. 
Fun fact: I’m a total Anglophile! I love anything to do with the UK and can usually be found binge watching the latest BBC drama with a proper cuppa in hand. I hope to plan my first trip to London soon (then to Munich, because I’m also a big Germanophile)!

And say hello to Corynne, our 2018 Employee of the Year!

Once per year, Ordereze is proud to honor one of our employees as Employee of the Year. As we wrapped up 2018, it became clear that Corynne was more than deserving of the title. Throughout the course of 6 hardworking years, Corynne has worked her way up to become our Director of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development, and has proven to be a key asset for the company. Her extreme dedication, people and organizational skills, and genuine passion for consulting and educating others in the industry truly shined in 2018, and have helped us maintain a durable relationship with our partners. We thank Corynne for all of her time and effort put in to Ordereze, and we are excited to see where 2019 takes her!