Helpful Tips – Edition 2

Meal Delivery and Pickup

Keep your restaurant or quick service cafe operating by advertising meal delivery and curbside pickup to your customers. Benefits they will appreciate include:

  • Convenient and easy to order
  • Helps support a local business
  • Highest standards for sanitary food preparation
  • No evidence of COVID-19 transmission associated with food, according to the CDC

Stand Out In Customers’ Minds

Be a guest’s first choice for meal delivery with these creative ideas:

Get Charitable

Donate meals to essential workers like doctor’s offices. Consider offering a discount especially for essential employees like healthcare professionals, first responders, delivery drivers and grocery store employees.

Cater to Kids

Most FECs sell quick service food that’s kid approved like burgers, chicken tenders, and hot dogs. But you won’t be on most people’s minds for meal deliveries. Stand out by providing customized “Kid Meals” with extras like helium balloons, activity sheets, stickers, and a surprise toy from the redemption counter.

IdealOne Redemption Software for FECs

But Don’t Forget Parents

Does your FEC have a liquor license? Let customers order a bottle of wine or six-pack of beer along with their meals. Put that margarita machine to use. Add specialty cocktails and mixed drinks to your adult beverage menu, and include those to-go options with meals. It’s a simple way to stand out from other quick service restaurants who have similar food choices, but don’t sell alcohol. Be sure to follow your area’s rules and regulations regarding ID checks and delivery.

Sell Meal Kits

In addition to offering prepared quick service food, consider selling meal kits. You provide the ingredients (purchased wholesale) and instructions for a family-fun cooking experience. Get started with simple kits like pizza dough, sauce and toppings – and grow from there. Other easy meal kits could be supplies for a nachos or hot dog bar.

Specialty Creations

Try creating wacky, limited-time-only menu options with what you have. For example, invent a crazy stacked burger with donuts and other toppings. Promote the item’s sales on social media with video eating challenges and prizes to those who can complete in under 20 minutes.

IdealOne POS Software for Food & Beverage

Deliver Specialty Party Treats

Parents can surprise their kids with treats like a bag of snow cone ice and a selection of syrups in to-go vials. Other treats they might enjoy having delivered (and that other restaurants don’t sell) include cotton candy, funnel cakes, or flavored popcorns.

Publicize Specials

It’s simple, but it works. Consider offering specials like a free kids meal with purchase of two adult meals. Other ideas could include a free beverage, side or dessert.

Ready to Get Started?

Choose from one of the popular delivery services below. Simply click on the logo to be redirected to the restaurant sign-up page.

Helpful Tips – Edition 1

Generating Income While Closed

Our team at IdealOne has put together a few ideas you can implement to keep revenue flowing.

Gift Cards

Communities are asking how they can keep their local business open during these times. Gift cards are a GREAT way to generate revenue while you’re closed.

  • Sell cards online
  • Create specials or package deals
  • Share social media games and contests to win gift cards and/or other prizes

Remember, if a customer has your gift card now they will visit your facility later – increasing traffic and sales.

Make Birthdays Special… Every Day!

Offer your guests new and creative ways to keep celebrating!

Party Bags

  • Put together parties-in-a-bag for people celebrating at home
  • Include redemption items, game cards, and party supplies you already have
  • Sanitize each item and advertise that you do so
  • When we are released to go socialize, make sure your gift card is sitting on their night stand reminding them where to go.

Online Party Booking

Make use of this valuable resource with the following techniques:

  • Use your customer database to find customers with a birthday coming up.
  • Missing a birthday party due to quarantine? Send a party gift bag to arrive on the child’s birth date. Include a party secured certificate for the future date to confirm their party will happen. Make the birthday package extra special by adding a redemption toy, gift cards, and invitations to give their friends so their special day will still be a memorable one.
  • Don’t forget the customers whose birthdays have just passed and might still want to celebrate when social distancing is over.

Trade Out Your Clover Devices For Ingenico

Ideal now offers an alternative payment processing device than the Clover.  Now you have the opportunity to obtain that new device at no cost until the end of the year. Our partner Card Connect will replace Clover devices with Ingenico devices for free, through the end of 2019. Why switch? This new Ingenico payment device uses a different mode of communication that makes it more stable when processing transactions and has no USB dependencies.  Communication is faster and consistent every transaction. Call Ideal support at (601) 703-0165 to obtain your free Ingenico devices before this promotion is over.