Every day we learn more about the digital age and the Internet of Things. There’s tons of information about record-high sales and use of smartphones, social media proliferation and new apps, as well as digitization. At the ORA, we are embracing technology and launching a new online community called CONNECT … more on that later.
In just the past few days, I learned about a new book from the co-founder of America Online and CEO of Revolution LLC – Steve Case. In “The Third Wave” Case predicts we’re at the dawn of the next technological revolution unlike anything we’ve seen. He believes the third wave of the internet will transform the economy and the way we live. Read and view more.
A story in today’s Chicago Tribune extols the virtues of restaurants offering MOBILE ORDERING. The facts in this story are compelling for restaurant operators. For example – a new Deloitte study confirms that quick-service restaurant customers spend 20% more on each order and visit 6% more often when their brand offers mobile ordering. At Dominos, which racks up massive same-store sales increases every year, more than 50% of their sales are from mobile. You can order by texting them an emoji of a pizza! Starbucks generates up to 20% of its transactions via mobile and 25% of their customers pay via a smartphone app.
We urge our restaurant members to study this opportunity and decide what technology makes sense for them. Concepts with a great unique selling proposition (USP), quality food and technical advantages are winning market share = SALES and PROFITS.
To help restaurateurs learn more and exchange ideas, we are thrilled to introduce a member-exclusive benefit powered by technology, which will significantly enhance member experience: it’s called CONNECT – our new ORA online community platform
It’s a smart way for you to communicate with your peers, ask questions, express your position on legislation, learn about industry standards and trends and meet industry leaders in the comfort of your own space, via a desktop, phone, or tablet … and you can take your network with you!
CONNECT will be THE space for the Ohio foodservice industry to participate in in-depth discussions, receive feedback, share and request resources and share knowledge and experiences from peers and mentors. It will provide easy access to networking, discussions, and resource libraries and will be a tool for engaging prospects to strengthen our member ranks.
With CONNECT:
You can network with other members across the state in one place.
You can post a question or reply to a discussion the way you want. Private messaging is also offered.
You can participate at your convenience, any day, any time.
You manage the volume; you can sign up for instant notification or daily digests. You'll benefit from the speed of information transfer,
Help our industry collaborate and build shared value. The benefits are endless and will get richer as more members engage and join in on discussions.
Get CONNECTED! Set up your user profile today: http://connect.ohiorestaurant.org/home
I look forward to connecting with you on CONNECT.
