If click and collect was little developed before the confinements linked to Covid, it is now anchored in the consumers' habits and the whole restaurant sector is progressively getting involved.
Although it is not very expensive to set up, it is important to control all aspects of it in order to generate as much profitability as possible. The choice of the solution, the kitchen equipment, the internal organization and the communication are all parameters that should not be neglected!
Browse our guide and get started with all the keys in hand!
What is click and collect in restaurants?
How does it work in restaurants?
In the restaurant industry, click and collect (or click n collect) consists of placing an order online, then picking it up directly at the restaurant.
Not very widespread a few years ago, click and collect got a boost from Covid. Customers could no longer eat on the spot, so they ordered in advance on the Internet and then picked up their dishes.
How does it work in practice?
1. As in a restaurant, customers choose their dishes from a menu, available online on a dedicated page. They then select a pick-up time and pay directly by credit card or dematerialized meal ticket.
2. The orders arrive at the cash desk and are transmitted to the kitchen according to the pick-up time chosen by the customers.
3. Depending on the time of collection, the kitchen prepares the order.
4. Customers arrive at the restaurant and pick up their order. In some cases, customers may choose to pay in cash at checkout. But as you'll see, this is not the best option for time management!
Key figures
According to Oracle, in 2022, 44% of consumers would be willing to spend more if click and collect was available at their favorite restaurant.
In 2021, an NPD Group study showed that when an order is placed via a digital channel such as click and collect, the average basket increases by 15-20% in fast food.
In France, 13% of restaurants already offer click and collect in 2021, according to TCMA Conseil.
The advantages of click and collect in the restaurant business
6 benefits for the restaurateur
1. Focus on the essentials
No more phone orders!
With click and collect, your customers are completely independent. As all information is available online (menu, availability of dishes, opening hours, etc.), your customers no longer need to bother you during service preparation or rush periods.
Most of the time, the payment is also done online, when the order is placed. This saves time when you pick up your order.
Bonus: no need to set up extra tables either!
Do you have a production screen?
Theorders then come directly to the kitchen. You have nothing to do but concentrate on preparing the dishes.
When properly configured, your production screen (or KDS, Kitchen Display System) will tell you whether an order is from click and collect, from the room or from a home delivery. This is very useful to avoid getting confused when serving!
2. Generate more orders
If click and collect is growing rapidly, it's because it's an ideal channel to generate more orders! But above all, it acts as a great lever to increase the profitability of your restaurant.
How do you do it?
By implementing click and collect, you don't need to increase the size of your restaurant or hire an additional server to capture more orders!
Or how to kill two birds with one stone.
3. Increase your average basket
The numbers don't lie.
At Innovorder, we see that the average basket of our customers increases by 20 to 25% thanks to click and collect!
How to explain it?
This is mainly due to the fact that online ordering allows you to set up personalized suggestions (dessert, drink, garnish, extra), which will whet the appetite of your customers. And make them crack! Between us, who has never been tempted by a cheddar cheese supplement or a dessert?
4. Earn more
There are two options if you take the click and collect step:
- Go through partner platforms, such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo or Just Eat,
- Be independent of online ordering platforms
The second case will interest you, here is why.
No more commissions!
By using a service provider, you pay a fee for each order placed. This considerably reduces your margin and profitability. Offering click and collect on your own means you don't have to pay these fees and you get 100% of the profits.
We talk about it in this article: 9 reasons to do without platforms for your restaurant.
That said, at Innovorder, we have chosen not to choose for you. Platform or independent: it's up to you!
👉 Contact a counselor about click and collect
5. Build customer loyalty
Contrary to home delivery, customers have to go to the store to pick up their order. Click and collect therefore attracts mostly customers who are close to your brand. When you deliver the order, don't neglect your customer relations: a satisfied customer is a customer who will definitely come back!
Moreover, by offering your customers to order online, you collect at the same time some precious information such as their favorite dishes and their email address. This is the best way to develop a tailor-made loyalty program, based on their consumption habits!
👉 Check out our article on the subject: "Customer loyalty in the restaurant industry, a key issue."
6. Sustain your business, whatever the situation
Covid has shown us that nothing can be taken for granted. And as a famous saying goes, prevention is better than cure.
So to avoid further confinement, click and collect is an alternative that should not be overlooked.
3 benefits for your customers
1. Easy to use
Today, the majority of your customers are equipped with a smartphone and hyper connected. So placing an order online is a breeze. It only takes 3 minutes to choose your favorite dish, choose the pick-up time and pay.
The proof: 40% of French people have already ordered a dish on the Internet and 31% of them do it at least once a month! (Source: Snacking)
2. No more queues
What could be more enjoyable than arriving at the restaurant and simply picking up your prepared and already paid for order?
As fast as "Hello, I have order 37. Thank you very much, goodbye and see you soon".
In terms of fluidity, it's hard to beat that!
3. No delivery charges
With no delivery fees or commissions for the platforms, it's one more reason to treat yourself!
5 steps to follow to implement click and collect in your restaurant
1. Choose the right tool
As a restaurant owner, it is out of the question to spend hours creating and configuring your own site or to call upon an expensive agency. The best advice we can give you is to choose a turnkey solution that is quick and easy to install.
To do this, turn directly to the experts in the field. They will understand what your needs are and how to meet them.
For example, Innovorder offers a turnkey Internet page that reflects your image. Like an extension of your restaurant, the page uses all the visual elements of your brand, guaranteeing the homogeneity of your menu.
The solution has been developed to make the customer experience (and therefore the order) as simple and smooth as possible.
👉 Discover online ordering by Innovorder
A point not to be neglected?
Your click and collect solution must be connected directly to your cash register. This way, your cash register transactions are automatically recorded, which saves you time with re-entries.
The must?
Connect your click and collect solution to production screens directly installed in your kitchen. As mentioned above, the orders arrive directly on your screens, which display the origin and the order of priority.
Those few seconds saved really make a difference!
👉 We actually talk about it in more detail in this article, "Restaurant Purchase Orders: paper or digital?".
2. Make your web page attractive
The more attractive your site and your menu are, the more you will make your customers want to order from you.
So take care of your brand image, the choice of visuals and the descriptions of your dishes. After all, who hasn't salivated in front of crispy golden fries?
To get ideas and inspiration from the best brands, take a look at online ordering apps or directly on the restaurants' websites: Pokawa, Sushi Shop or Street Bangkok.
3. Organize your restaurant for click and collect
If you don't anticipate the two points below before you start, you are heading for disaster!
Dedicate a space to order pickup
Watch out for the lines!
Imagine: your customers are standing in line in the middle of the restaurant and crowding the counter, eager to get their order. They don't want that, you don't want that.
Now, imagine a dedicated space: a window overlooking the street, like at Cot Cot 's for example, or a recess away from the room and out of the way of the servers. It's better for everyone: your customers in the dining room, your click and collect customers, and your teams!
Train your teams!
By the way, to be efficient, your teams must be perfectly trained for the D-day.
Click and collect should not add confusion to everyone's role. It's all about accurately defining positions and rethinking processes so that no one steps on each other's toes or an order gets lost along the way.
These few minutes of reflection will save you hours at the end of the month!
Organize your kitchen (and equip it if necessary)
Think of equipping your kitchens with production screens!
Indeed, a well-organized click and collect means many additional orders. And therefore to manage.
Your best ally to keep you on track: a perfectly configured production screen for your restaurant.
👉 Get expert advice: contact an Innovorder consultant!
And if you're still using a paper order form, it's essential to review the organization of your kitchen in order to bring order to the take-out, room and delivery orders. A mix-up can happen quickly when it's time for the gun to be fired...
4. Share the news with your customers
This step is crucial and must not be neglected, otherwise all your efforts could be reduced to nothing...
Indoor
On the front door, at the counter, on your menus, or even in the bathroom! You are free to make your self-promotion wherever you want, with a poster that can be seen and not forgotten.
The most important thing is that your customers know that they can now order online from their favorite restaurant!
On social networks
For your most connected customers, social networks, like Facebook or Instagram, are a real source of information. And more and more, finding information about your favorite restaurant goes through there.
So, if you manage your brand's accounts, be sure to mention that click and collect is now possible. Also, don't forget toinclude the link to the online ordering page.
On your website
If you already have a website, re-fill your takeout page and make it visible so that no orders are lost.
On Google My Business
Finally, if your restaurant is listed on Google, and in particular on Google Maps, same battle: complete the description of your page Google My Business page with the appropriate information.
5. Turn your customers into ambassadors
At this point, you've done the hard part!
But to make a lasting impression and attract even more customers, here's our final tip: focus on the customer experience.
Here are some examples to inspire you:
- bags in your restaurant's colors, recognizable to all (hello McDonald's)
- Personalized advice on how to reheat your dishes like a chef (thanks to Bouillon Pigalle)
- Little touches, like offbeat stickers (Big Mama style)
These details will not only delight or even surprise your customers, but there is a good chance that they will talk about their positive shopping experience.
What we wish you?
Let your concept be shared in photos on social networks by your customers and let them talk about you!
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With this advice, are you ready to go?
Talk to a consultant who will be able to guide you step by step until your project is a success!
