4 reasons to introduce direct to table ordering at your attraction

You've heard of mobile food ordering; now it's time to discover direct-to-table ordering – the ideal way to offer guests a premium dining experience at your on-site catering outlets. Whether you're a theme park, zoo or resort, direct-to-table ordering is perfect for those who want to enjoy a sit-down meal without wasting precious time waiting for food to be ready or for visitors who still want to maintain social distancing.

Keep reading to discover the top 4 benefits of direct-to-table ordering for your attraction:

1. Give busy guests the dining in experience they crave

Active guests don’t want to waste time stuck in long lines during the lunchtime rush – they want to be making the most of their visit to your attraction. By offering direct-to-table ordering, you can create a relaxing dining-in experience that gets them back to exploring in no time.

Using the direct-to-table option in your Attractions.io mobile app, guests can order in their own time and take as long as they want to browse the menu, meaning they won’t struggle with the so-called ‘panic ordering’ that many feel when ordering in a crowded on-site outlet. Instead, they can browse the menu at their leisure and take the time to explore your exclusive in-app offers, like meal-deals and two for one discounts.

Whatsmore, many guests are still maintaining social distance following the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering mobile ordering allows them to enjoy a traditional dining experience with minimal contact, so they can get back to doing the things they love without worrying about their safety. As they can browse menus, order and pay via the app, the only contact they’ll have is when the waiter delivers their meal.

2. Streamline your kitchen operations 

At a time where staffing shortages are gripping the industry, driving operational efficiencies is critical. By offering a direct-to-table ordering service for guests, you can make it quick and easy for kitchen staff to see and process orders.

Our direct to table food ordering solution integrates with your kitchen display system (KDS) and POS to help you optimise your kitchen operations. Staff can see the order collect time and prepare ahead, to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

3. Increase your secondary spending

Studies have shown that customers who order off-premise spend up to 25% more than if they were ordering in store or via telephone. And we found similar patterns in our own research! When we surveyed guests using our mobile food ordering solution, we discovered that their average transaction value increased by up to 42% when they had the option to order ahead. 

Operators were also able to recover 1 in 6 abandoned orders when guests ordered via the app. By sending guests tailored push notifications reminding them that they had forgotten to check out and introducing offers for those who complete their purchase, attractions were able to drive spending and guest satisfaction simultaneously.   

4. Watch food & beverage sales soar

Reach guests at the right time and location with our app management console, which helps you deliver the offers that guests really want. Using our intelligent messaging tool, you can schedule promotions and reminders to encourage guests to take advantage of your digital ordering capability. You can even choose to trigger notifications using Bluetooth beacons or schedule them for a specific time. 

Parents buying meals for the kids but not themselves? Offer a half-price childrens' meal with every adult purchase. Guests leaving your site and heading to that well known fast-food chain on the way home? Run a happy hour to encourage guests to eat before they go. 

How does direct-to-table ordering work?

Like our order for collection service, direct-to-table ordering integrates with your KDS and POS, to help your kitchen operators forecast demand and staffing needs. Here’s how it works:

1. You add food and beverage outlets as points of interest on your interactive map. Then add menu’s, meal deals and special offers to increase guests spending.
   

2. Guests browse your dining locations using your guest-facing mobile app and select the restaurant of their choice.
   

3. They add the items of their choice to their cart and choose their contactless payment method.  We support credit card payments, iPay and Google Pay. 
   

4. Guest choose whether they want to eat now or schedule a time for later.
   

5. The mobile order shows up on your kitchen display screen so that staff can prepare it for the specified time.
   

6. When it’s time to eat, guests receive a real-time notification on their mobile phone, complete with directions to help them find the quickest route to the restaurant.
   

7. Once they arrive, they can be seated and their food brought out instantly, freeing up extra time to explore your park!
   

How do I add direct-to-table ordering to my Attractions.io App?

You can add mobile and direct-to-table food ordering to your existing Attractions.io mobile application for a single yearly fee. To find out more, contact your customer success manager or get in touch using our contact form.

If you’re not currently using our core solution, you can get started by requesting a demo with our sales team, and we’ll help you explore our guest-facing mobile apps and decide if Attractions.io is the right choice for your organisation.