LocalFood2Go Case Study
Overview
Based in New York state, LocalFood2Go helps restaurants expand their digital footprint and improve online ordering and delivery capabilities. LocalFood2Go originally started by helping restaurants build chatbots and grow revenue through social media advertising. Eventually, that led to helping restaurants integrate online ordering into their website to further expand their customers’ market share and revenue streams.
In 2020, a customer complained about the high fees and bad customer service received from national delivery companies and inquired about LocalFood2Go offering a delivery service. Seeing an opportunity, LocalFood2Go stepped up to the plate and began providing delivery services to its restaurants as well as its standard services.
The Challenge
LocalFood2Go tried several online ordering providers but were unable to find one with the right features and high-quality customer service. It felt that the other providers were not being transparent about fees or the cost of using their service.
“The prior companies had just terrible customer service,” said Hank Arciolla, owner of LocalFood2Go. “Like, just awful. They would promise you things and not deliver, or you could never get a hold of someone. So that made me mad.”
Localfood2go was particularly concerned with the inability to integrate with Google Food Ordering using these providers. Instead of working towards a solution, Arciolla was told that LocalFood2Go did not process enough orders to be set up on Google Food Ordering.
On top of those setbacks, LocalFood2Go was frustrated with the high cost associated with switching menu platforms. The business spent $4,000 to hire someone to manually enter the menus in a new platform - a process that should be done automatically for less.
Finally, LocalFood2Go was concerned about integrating the online ordering system with thermal printers, allowing orders to flow directly into the kitchen. Without the printer capabilities, restaurants had to move orders from the computer to the kitchen by hand, leaving too much room for error.
The Solution
LocalFood2Go heard about Zuppler Online Ordering during a social event with the Restaurant Marketing and Delivery Association (RMDA). After performing due diligence, it switched to Zuppler’s online ordering platform and established an online marketplace for its restaurants. Through Zuppler, LocalFood2Go was also able to offer its restaurants online ordering and delivery services.
Benefits of Switching to Zuppler Online Ordering
• Significant client growth over the last year due to increased service offerings.
• Integration of multiple parts of the tech stack into one complete system. From ordering via social media platforms to direct website ordering, LocalFood2Go collects revenue through various online ordering methods.
• Ability to offer Google Food Ordering and teach clients how to use the platform as a customer acquisition strategy.
• Free menu conversion. Zuppler does not charge customers to migrate menus from another platform.
• Free website creation for clients. LocalFood2Go is able to offer free websites to its clients because Zuppler builds the sites for free inclusive of online ordering capabilities.
• Able to build a marketplace and grow a delivery business. LocalFood2Go has created an online directory of local restaurants, which has become a major traffic source for the company.
Results
• 158% client growth
The Zuppler Online Ordering platform has made conversations with customers easier, leading to 158% increase in the total number of restaurant partners.
• Improved customer satisfaction
Customers tell LocalFood2Go how pleased they are with the new platform and the wide variety of services offered.
• Reduced delivery fees for partnered restaurants
LocalFood2Go offers inexpensive delivery service when customers order through the marketplace or a restaurant’s website, while also decreasing a restaurant’s commission fees from national third-party platforms to 15%.
“I can now differentiate myself in a way that gets restaurants talking to me,” Arciolla said. “The first thing I do is I go on their Facebook page, and I look at it and I say, ‘What do they need here?’ Then, as I'm walking in the door, I'm looking for a delivery sticker on the door. I want to see what delivery services they use. Offering all these other services just leads to a lot of great conversations.”