Witnessing the digital restaurant revolution: an agency owner’s 15 year journey

Reflecting on the past 15 years of running an agency, I feel both grateful and fortunate to have supported our restaurant clients through their digital transformation journeys.  Starting from the modest beginnings of restaurant websites to today’s sophisticated, commerce-centric platforms,...

Reflecting on the past 15 years of running an agency, I feel both grateful and fortunate to have supported our restaurant clients through their digital transformation journeys.  Starting from the modest beginnings of restaurant websites to today’s sophisticated, commerce-centric platforms, this transformation tells a story of evolving technology, changing dining habits, and shifting consumer expectations. As we delve into the milestones that have significantly shaped these sites, I am reminded of our agency’s role in navigating this digital revolution. It’s a narrative of progress that I’m incredibly proud to be part of, highlighting how restaurant websites serve as a direct reflection of the broader trends shaping our society.

2009: The Simple Beginnings

Our agency’s story with restaurant sites began in 2009, when most sites functioned like digital flyers: they were static, primarily showcasing menus, and providing basic contact information such as operating hours, addresses, and phone numbers. Our goal was to create a digital appetizer, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become an in-person dining experience. 

2011: Mapping the Way to Success

In 2011, we started integrating map services into restaurant sites; this marked a significant enhancement in functionality and focus on local stores. This feature improved accessibility and user experience, evolving websites from brochures essential navigation tools for diners…though this still required guests to print out directions to bring the car with them — remember those times?  

2013: Embracing the Social Media Revolution

The integration of social media in 2013 redefined the online presence of restaurants. Our clients’ sites began to play a crucial role in their marketing strategies, transforming from static pages to dynamic platforms that encouraged engagement and community building.  We started integrating Instagram feeds directly into pages and adding “share” buttons on any comment deemed worth sharing. 

2015: Mobile Traffic Exceeds Desktop Traffic

By 2015, with over 75% of US adults owning a smartphone, the digital landscape underwent a pivotal shift. This widespread adoption necessitated a fundamental change in our approach to website design, prioritizing mobile responsiveness. As mobile devices accounted for more than half of web traffic, we transitioned to a mobile-first design philosophy. This represented a significant evolution from the previous years, when having a “mobile-site” was considered a nice-to-have rather than an essential component of a digital ecosystem. 

2017: Restaurant Websites Became Commerce Tools

As restaurant websites transformed into sophisticated commerce platforms, our clients’ appetite for data deepened. No longer satisfied with basic metrics like bounce rates and visitor counts, they sought to measure their website’s efficacy as a robust marketing instrument. This meant diving into cross-domain analytics to understand the synergy between their website and ordering systems, tracking the rate of e-club sign-ups, and gauging engagement through actions like obtaining directions or initiating phone calls. This evolution underscored the increasing importance for our agency to deliver comprehensive analytics and insightful data interpretation. Our goal was to ensure that every digital interaction not only engaged users but also provided valuable business insights, optimizing the intersection of user experience and data intelligence.

2019: ADA Compliance

By 2019, our restaurant clients, along with a growing number of new clients affected by ADA litigation, began to exhibit a heightened awareness of ADA Compliance. This marked a pivotal moment for us, as ADA compliance emerged as a consideration in new website RFPs for the first time. Recognizing the importance of creating a more inclusive internet, our agency proactively integrated ADA compliance into every new build. We also embarked on a continuous internal education journey, emphasizing the significance of ADA standards across both our development and design teams.

2020: The Pandemic Pivot and the Digital Restaurant 

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the mission-critical role of restaurant sites in maintaining operations amidst unprecedented challenges. Our agency swiftly adapted, enhancing our clients’ online ordering capabilities to facilitate delivery and takeout services directly through their sites. We also saw many restaurants without strong first party channels lean heavily on marketplaces like Uber Eats and Grubhub to fulfill a surge in orders (even while taking the fees hit from 3rd parties). 

2021: Prioritizing First Party over 3rd Party Orders

As the pandemic-driven ordering boom started to normalize, restaurants saw the lion’s share of their orders being funneled through third-party marketplaces such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDas. While these platforms contributed to an increase in sales, they left restaurants in the dark regarding vital customer data. We helped our clients develop frictionless online ordering systems through their own websites and apps. In the fiercely competitive restaurant industry, cultivating a loyal customer base is crucial, and the lack of direct access to customer information posed significant challenges. 

2022: The Importance of Personalization

Our work in 2022 focused on delivering hyper-personalized dining experiences through the restaurant sites we built. By leveraging data analytics, we provided tailored recommendations and experiences, demonstrating our commitment to creating unique digital dialogues with each customer, and fostering a deeper connection between them and our clients’ brands. “Hi David, what’s for dinner?” goes a lot further than “Food Menu”. 

2023: Loyalty 3.0

The evolution of loyalty programs in 2023 highlighted our strategic efforts to deepen customer relationships further. We saw our clients wanting to evolve their programs beyond the traditional punch-card approach. Changes in loyalty programs aimed to grow a community of brand enthusiasts — some of our favorite incentives were early access to new menu items, a pass to skip the line during lunch rushes, and invitations to exclusive events. Loyalty 3.0 is all about adding to the brand experience rather than discounting it. 

2024: Omnichannel Commerce

Entering 2024, the focus for our clients has shifted towards embracing omnichannel commerce, integrating their restaurant sites seamlessly with multiple sales channels to offer a unified customer experience. This evolution reflects a broader trend towards eliminating the barriers between online and offline interactions, ensuring that whether a customer orders through a mobile app, kiosk, CarOS or directly on the website, their experience is consistent and cohesive. For our agency, this means developing sites that not only stand out visually but are also intricately connected to a broader ecosystem of digital touchpoints, ensuring a fluid, omnichannel journey that meets customers wherever they are.

A Bright Future: Charting the Course of Digital Innovation and Adaptation

Looking ahead, the horizon brims with promise and potential. The advent of spatial computing, artificial intelligence,and an even more fluid omnichannel experience is set to revolutionize our digital interactions further. These advancements promise to blend the physical and digital worlds in ways that were once the realm of science fiction, offering unparalleled opportunities for engagement and personalization.

As we move forward, my excitement for what comes next is boundless. Whether it’s leveraging the latest in tech to enhance our restaurant clients’ digital presence or navigating the uncharted waters of future digital landscapes, our agency is ready. Here’s to embracing the knowns and the unknowns, to continuing our journey of innovation and adaptation, and to the endless possibilities that lie ahead. The future is bright, and I am thrilled to explore it alongside our clients, partners, and the communities we serve.