While we’ve known for over a decade that punch cards aren’t enough to keep customers interested, as it turns out, traditional digital rewards programs are also becoming passé. Enter the NFT membership program: brands from Wow Bao to Starbucks are trialling blockchain-backed customer memberships that remove loyalty from the dollar to discount loop and add more exciting and exclusive benefits to members.
Recently, NFT-based protocol Unlock Protocol announced a partnership with customer loyalty platform Stakes that will allow restaurants to launch personalized blockchain-backed membership programs – providing another avenue for restaurants to dive into this burgeoning world of NFT loyalty programs.
In other news this month, DoorDash is giving operator partners access to some of the merchant data it previously kept under lock and key, including sales trends, and Wingstop is the latest brand to outsource call centers to AI.
Tech Tracker rounds up what’s happening in the technology sector of the restaurant industry, including news from restaurants, suppliers, digital platforms and third-party delivery companies. Here’s an overview of what you need to know and why:
Unlock Protocol and Stakes launch NFT membership programs for restaurants
NFT-Based Protocol Unlock Protocol partners with customer loyalty platform Stakes to make NFT-based memberships easier and more accessible for restaurant brands of all sizes to play with. Like many operators delving into NFT membership, these programs are blockchain-backed, but no crypto wallets or special cryptocurrency knowledge is required for either operators or customers to access the benefits and benefits.
Operators can customize the benefits and perks that members receive when they sign up and receive a unique NFT – including access to secret menu items, premium table seating, special events, cooking classes and complimentary drinks or desserts. Representatives with Unlock Protocol said it is designed for and can be customized to fit the needs of chain, independent, limited-service or full-service brands.
“This partnership allows restaurants to go beyond the traditional customer loyalty program,” a representative with Unlock Protocol told Nation’s Restaurant News. “Through membership, patrons can receive tangible benefits as well as opportunities to become involved with the restaurants such as voting on seasonal menu items. Through this level of participation, patrons can become more than just customers, increasing the value they experience with each visit.”
In the future, the membership program will be able to encourage repeat visits with benefits such as voting for new menu items, exclusive tastings and referral bonuses for friends who join. Restaurant operators can also interact with other brands using the platform, with the opportunity to establish partnerships with local shops, venues and sports teams.
We predict that Stakes/Unlock Protocol will not be the only vendor to come out with all-in-one NFT membership platforms, so restaurants may have more options to plug and play these features into their own digital loyalty operations.
DoorDash makes some merchant data available to operators
DoorDash announced the launch of a new Merchant Reporting API tool, which will remove some consumer data behind the DoorDash firewall, including sales data (average ticket size and total order volume), sales details broken down by new and returning customers, and operational data such as order accuracy and cancellations.
It’s no surprise that third-party delivery platforms like DoorDash continue to roll out new personalized features to carrier partners in response to continued backlash against commission fees and lack of access to customer data. However, DoorDash confirmed that it still does not share customer-specific data such as demographic breakdowns or other personally identifiable information. The Merchant Reporting API tool is more like a general trend report to guide restaurants offering delivery and takeout.
The data can be accessed either through DoorDash directly or through integration partners ItsACheckmate and Nextbite. There is no additional cost to operators to access the Merchant Reporting API tool.
Toast buys Delphi
Toast enters the drive-thru technology business: The popular restaurant software platform announced in February the acquisition of Delphi Display Systems – drive-thru digital signage, hardware and software.
Together as partners, Toast customers now have access to Delphi’s suite of physical products for drive-thru-centric restaurants, including indoor and outdoor digital menu boards and drive-thru order confirmation systems.
“As guest needs rapidly evolve and the importance of developing incremental revenue streams grows, restaurants are increasingly looking to diversify into multiple service models,” said Aman Narang, COO and co-founder of Toast in a statement. “Integrating Delphi into the Toast platform will enable us to deepen our support for customers operating a drive-thru service model.”
Wingstop adds AI to call centers
Wingstop recently announced a pilot partnership with AI voice provider ConverseNow to add AI-powered virtual assistants to its call centers. The technology will be added to select Wingstop restaurants based on demand, automating phone orders that are added to the restaurant at the same time without the need to use human labor to answer the phone. Similar technology has been added to Papa John’s, Domino’s and Chipotle, underscoring the industry’s need for labor-saving automated technologies.
“While restaurants have had to face many obstacles in recent years, it has also opened the door to even more innovation that is pushing the industry forward,” said Rahul Aggarwal, co-founder COO and CPO of ConverseNow in a statement. “This partnership with Wingstop is a great example of leading brands seizing the opportunity for change.”
BurgerFi adds FlyBuy for smart order collection
Fast-casual brand BurgerFi and its subsidiary Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings announced an investment in off-premises geofencing technology with the rollout of Flybuy Pickup to optimize curbside, in-store and delivery drivers for pickup in partnership with Radius Networks.
The partnership gives BurgerFi and Anthony’s the ability to track customer arrivals using geofencing intelligence and can prepare orders based on exact arrival times. Staff are notified when pick-up customers arrive to pick up the order in the exact order of arrival. Restaurants can also add custom tags to the order so items that are often forgotten in an order, such as drinks or desserts, are not mistakenly left out of the bag.
“We went through a rigorous process when selecting our technology partners, and we were very impressed with the innovation, collaboration and flexibility of the Flybuy platform,” Ophir Sternburg, executive chairman of BurgerFi, said in a statement. “At BurgerFi, we continue to leverage innovative technologies like Flybuy to provide the best restaurant experience.”
SoCi Announces Investment in ChatGPT Marketing
Multi-unit foodservice marketing platform SOCi announced $120 million in funding, which it will use to expand into new markets and invest in a range of ChatGPT-powered AI marketing tools. The round is led by growth equity company JMI Equity, together with Vertical Venture Partners, Blossom Street Ventures and strategic investor Renew Group Private Limited.
In the future, SOCi will roll out a line of “Genius” marketing products, which will be able to automate selected marketing tasks at scale, including real-time responses to online reviews.
“SOCi’s clients have thousands of marketing decisions to make across hundreds or thousands of locations,” said Afif Khoury, CEO and co-founder of SOCi in a statement. “The opportunity for optimization is incredible, but at this scale it is crippled by true human capacity issues. Our ‘Genius’ products are the answer, as they will leverage sophisticated data science models to generate recommendations and automate data-driven decisions across the organization .”
Danny Meyer invests in SevenRooms
Guest experience platform SevenRooms announced this month a major investment from Enlightened Hospitality Investments, the strategic growth equity firm associated with Union Square Hospitality Group founder Danny Meyer, joining the likes of fellow culinary chefs such as José Andrés, Wolfgang Puck, Michael Mina, Thomas Keller, who also has invested in the technology platform.
Over the past few years, Meyer with Enlightened Hospitality has invested in a number of restaurant projects, including Dig Inn, Slutty Vegan, Chip City Cookies, Goldbelly and 7shift’s labor management platform.
Contact Joanna at [email protected]
