Mastering Off Premise Operations
How to Get More Orders Outside Your Restaurant’s Four Walls
For a deep dive interview about mastering restaurant off-premise profitability click here.
Running a restaurant isn't just about what happens within the four walls of your establishment anymore.
With the rise of digital platforms and delivery services, off-premise operations have become essential to any restaurant’s continued success and profitability.
This guide offers valuable insights for independent restaurant operators on how to master off-premise operations and optimize your digital storefront, helping you drive more orders and grow your business.
Don't miss out on these key sections that will power up your restaurant's off-premise game:
The Importance of Off Premise Operations
Off-premise operations encompass any activities that generate revenue outside of your restaurant’s physical location, including delivery, takeout, catering, and even digital marketing. The rise of off-premise dining, which accelerated during the pandemic, is now a permanent fixture of the restaurant industry.
To thrive, a successful off-premise platform should follow the 3 C’s framework: create, capture, and convert demand into profits. A good off-premise platform helps generate demand through effective marketing, capture orders seamlessly, and convert those interactions into loyal customers and increased revenue. Mastering all three is key to excelling in the growing off-premise dining sector.
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Watch the video to see how Chowly perfects the 3 C’s—Create, Capture, Convert—to optimize off-premise strategies for independent restaurant operators.
Pro Tip:
Digital foot traffic is the new front door to your restaurant. Just like maintaining an inviting physical entrance, your digital storefront needs to be welcoming and functional to properly create, capture and convert online orders into profits.
Continue reading for tips on improving your digital storefront to unlock new revenue opportunities and boost your restaurant’s off-premise success.
Optimizing your restaurant’s digital storefront is key to off-premise success, acting as the first touchpoint for customers who may never step inside your physical location. A well-optimized storefront ensures seamless navigation, accurate information, and ease of ordering, which builds trust and boosts sales.
Start with a mobile-friendly website, fast loading times, and clear visuals of your menu. Keeping your Google My Business profile updated and integrating online ordering are essential, as is utilizing social media and targeted ads to capture traffic.
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To power up your digital storefront, watch the video below for pro tips on specific actions you can take, from leveraging online ordering to using analytics to improve your digital storefront’s performance.
Use our Digital Storefront Checklist to assess your storefront’s health and explore key areas and actions for improvement.
Pro Tip:
Your hospitality moment should be front and center across all digital storefronts—website, social media, and delivery apps. Show customers what sets you apart to strengthen your brand, build trust, and increase off-premise orders.
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Watch the video to learn how hospitality moments can power your off-premise strategy.
Disclaimer: Without solid operations, even the most well-crafted off-premise strategies can fail, leading to wasted resources and lost potential customers. Make sure your operators are dialed before considering investing in resources to drive more off-premise demand.
The Hyper-Local Knife Fight
Restaurants today, whether independent or part of a larger chain, are engaged in what can be called a “hyper-local knife fight” for digital attention. Each location must treat its digital presence as crucial as its physical one, competing not just with nearby eateries but with other restaurants vying for the same digital eyeballs within a specific geographic radius.
To stand out, it’s important to approach each location with a unique digital strategy, focusing on key elements like listings management and reputation management. This means keeping Google My Business profiles up to date, responding to reviews, and ensuring high ratings on platforms like Yelp and TripAdvisor.
Pro Tip:
Your hospitality moment should be front and center across all digital storefronts—website, social media, and delivery apps. Show customers what sets you apart to strengthen your brand, build trust, and increase off-premise orders.
Listings and Reputation: The Foundation of Digital Success
The first step to winning the digital battle is ensuring that your restaurant’s listings are accurate and comprehensive. Up-to-date information, including hours of operation and high-quality images, can make a significant difference. This is followed by a strong reputation management strategy—boosting your ratings and responding to customer feedback.
Reputation management has become increasingly important. While it used to be lower on the list of SEO priorities, today it is a top driver of discoverability for restaurants. Reviews and ratings on platforms like Yelp and Google can heavily influence a potential customer’s decision, so maintaining a high rating and actively managing feedback is essential for off-premise success.
Pro Tip:
Respond to all reviews—both positive and negative—within 24 hours. A timely, thoughtful response shows that you value customer feedback and are committed to excellent service, which helps boost your reputation and attract new customers.
Leveraging Paid Ads to Increase Digital Foot Traffic
Paid ads, particularly Google search ads, are a powerful tool for increasing digital foot traffic. By buying your own brand name as a keyword, you ensure that your restaurant appears at the top of search results. This strategy isn’t just about driving traffic; it’s also about collecting valuable data.
An example of this strategy in action is an ice cream shop with multiple locations. By purchasing the keyword “bakery” in an area with few bakeries, the restaurant was able to attract customers who were searching for baked goods but ended up ordering ice cream instead. This approach shows the importance of understanding your market and strategically positioning your restaurant to capture digital traffic.
Pro Tip:
Start by ensuring your online listings are complete and accurate. Engage with your community by responding to reviews and maintaining a strong social media presence to keep your restaurant visible.
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Curious about how branded keywords can boost your restaurant’s Google Ads?
Watch the video for more insights.
Turning Customers into Regulars
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to turn one-time customers into loyal, repeat patrons. While it may not always bring in new customers, it excels at retaining those you’ve already won over. By consistently engaging with your customer base through well-crafted, personalized emails, you can encourage repeat orders and build a strong, loyal following.
Pro Tip:
Consistency is key to optimizing your digital storefront. Use email and free tools like organic social media to highlight special offers and seasonal dishes, staying top-of-mind with customers. Tailor messages to customer preferences and past orders to build loyalty without spending a fortune.
Righteous Que turned a 15% loss into 40% growth by leveraging Chowly’s digital marketing strategies.
With a mix of email campaigns, Meta ads, and Google ads, they boosted repeat orders and built stronger customer engagement. This success story shows how targeted digital marketing can drive significant off-premise growth for independent restaurants.
Check out the video to discover the exact digital marketing tactics that drove success for Righteous Que and learn how you can adopt similar strategies to grow your restaurant’s off-premise sales.
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Want more effective marketing strategies to win the
hyper-local knife fight and boost orders?
Check out Chowly’s free Guide to Marketing for Independent Restaurant Operators, packed with insights to help increase orders.
ABCD’s of Marketing: A Strategic Framework for Success
Effective marketing begins by focusing on four key areas—your audience, brand, competition, and differentiation. Understanding your Audience is crucial; it’s about identifying your ideal customer, the people most likely to love what you offer. By honing in on who your brand is truly for, you can strip away distractions and focus on delivering value.
Your Brand is the solution to your audience’s needs, and how you serve them defines their experience. It’s not just about what you sell, but how you make your customers feel. In a competitive landscape, it’s essential to understand your Competition. Knowing who else is solving the same problem helps you stay top of mind when it matters most.
What truly sets you apart is your Differentiation—what makes your brand stand out. Whether it’s unique offerings, stellar service, or something else, this distinction is what convinces people to choose you over others.
Pro Tip:
Ultimately, Everything matters. Every action, every touchpoint, every detail communicates your value and shapes customer expectations. Consistency and thoughtfulness in how you market define success. Understanding these principles transforms marketing from an abstract concept into a clear, actionable strategy for standing out in the marketplace.
The Triangle Principle: Attraction, Retention and Evangelism
The Triangle Principle focuses on three fundamental elements that drive successful restaurant marketing. First is Attraction, the process of bringing in new customers and expanding your audience. Next is Retention, ensuring that those customers return more frequently, building loyalty over time. Finally, Evangelism turns loyal customers into passionate advocates who spread the word and drive organic growth. Together, these three pillars create a powerful framework for sustained restaurant success.
Pro Tip:
Work backward: ensure every customer returns and raves about your business, then focus on attracting new ones. With this system in place, your restaurant can thrive, using tools like Google Ads, Meta ads, social media, and more.
Moving From Feast to Famine
Restaurants that succeed in today’s market are the ones that embrace digital strategies, optimize off-premise operations, and continuously innovate. Whether through digital marketing, delivery, or catering, expanding beyond your restaurant’s four walls is essential to growing your business. With the right approach, you can turn these challenges into opportunities for success.
For more tips and insights from industry experts, check out Chowly Resources.
