On Leveraging Digital Signage In Quick-Service Restaurants

One of the most dynamic environments that host digital signage screens is in quick-service restaurants (QSRs). A large part of the business model relies upon moving customers quickly from the order line to the pick-up line, and finally, out the door. Customers should be able to make their food choices, place their orders, and have it prepared and presented within the space of a few minutes. This is an environment that is uniquely positioned to leverage a DOOH platform.

A lot of restaurants in the QSR space have resisted abandoning their traditional menus and order-placement systems for a digital signage solution. Below, we'll describe the advantages of installing a DOOH system along with a few tips for doing so successfully.

A popular use of DOOH technology in the quick-service food segment is menu boards. To fully appreciate the benefits of a digital board, it's worth considering the process through which printed menus are created. Once the materials have been designed, they need to be printed. Once they are printed, they must be delivered to the restaurant. Then, the menus must be posted. Several weeks are often required, from beginning to end. If a change becomes necessary - for example, a new item is introduced - a new set of printed materials must be created, delivered, and posted.

By contrast, a DOOH screen can be updated to reflect changes as needed. If a menu item is added or dropped, the digital board can be modified within minutes.

Another advantage of digital signage is that the content can be customized based on the time of day, audience, weather, and other factors. For example, DOOH menu boards can display breakfast specials to morning customers, and lunch specials to those who visit in the afternoon.

The technology also provides QSR owners a way to better describe their menu items. This helps to boost sales of high-margin side items, such as fries, drinks, and desserts.

While a digital signage platform offers clear advantages for the quick-service space, it also presents a few challenges. One of them is the potential for a system outage.

Any server-driven system can suffer an outage, even if it only lasts a few minutes. Unfortunately, in the QSR space, a few minutes of downtime can result in customers leaving in frustration. For this reason, it's important to have a backup system in place.

Suppose you operate a fast-food restaurant, and the computer that delivers content to your digital menu boards goes down during the lunch rush. If you lack a backup system, your customers will be left without an easily-viewable menu. When installing a digital signage solution, make sure there is redundancy between servers.

One application of DOOH technology in quick-service restaurants is kiosks that allow customers to order their food through a touchscreen interface. This is a good opportunity to upsell side items. The key is to make sure the side orders being promoted complement the other items ordered by the customer.

For instance, suppose a customer orders a garden salad and an apple. It would be inappropriate to upsell fries to this person since they have ordered a low-calorie meal. Bottled water is a better complement, and is more likely to be added to their order. A DOOH solution can be programmed to deliver complementary upsells that match the preferences of the customer

If you're thinking about installing a digital signage solution in a QSR (or a chain of QSRs), allow enough flexibility to scale up in the future. No single solution fits every environment, and your needs are likely to evolve over time.

It's also important to allocate sufficient resources to keep content fresh, including an ongoing string of promotions. This will help prompt interest in customers, and increase their average order size.

The environment in QSRs is dynamic and fast-paced; sales are influenced by how quickly the customer is able to order and receive what she wants. It provides an ideal setting for menu boards driven by a signage system.