[OMS_MANAGERS] FW: Online Ordering Platform

[W Darin Rutledge, Executive Director]

Like an online food court, yeah? 

I don’t know of any specific platforms that would accommodate that. I have seen several programs designed to support local restaurants (gift certificates, etc.), and every one of them requires work on the part of the restaurant (sign up, register, reprogram POS, download an app, etc.). I’m concerned that they are being overtaxed by having to manage their own social media, their own online ordering AND signing up for all the other programs people with good intentions are trying to set up for them. For some restaurants, they are killing it with their social media and innovation right now and already have robust online ordering/menu systems in place. For them, creating a new point of access would actually be diluting their marketing effectiveness (and potentially reducing business traffic if they decided not to participate in a centralized platform). As a customer, I know how to order from the restaurants I want to support. And if I can’t decide what I want to eat, I do a “restaurants near me” search on Google, find a restaurant that looks good, and figure out how to order from them.

 

I think for a single service that includes all restaurants to be truly effective, it would have to be zero effort on the part of the restaurant and would have to materially improve the customer’s ability to connect to the restaurant and their ordering system (or create some other value … rewards, discounts, etc.). Perhaps, rather than asking restaurants to get set up on yet another new platform, maybe a better investment would be to create a collector page with links directly to the restaurants’ EXISTING online ordering service and to work with restaurants that don’t have an existing system in place and help them get online?


Curious if that perspective is similar for others, or if it’s maybe because we don’t have as many restaurants to pick from here and the need isn’t as great? 

 

Thanks!
D

From: OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us> on behalf of STUART Sheri * OPRD via OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>
Reply-To: STUART Sheri * OPRD <Sheri.Stuart at oregon.gov>, Oregon Main Street program managers <oms_managers at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>
Date: Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 10:54 AM
To: Oregon Main Street program managers <oms_managers at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>
Subject: [OMS_MANAGERS] FW: Online Ordering Platform

 

This email is being forwarded over the OMS listserv. All responses will be over the listserv.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for Molly?

From: Main Street Coordinator <mainstreet.cottagegrove at gmail.com> 
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2020 10:56 AM
To: STUART Sheri * OPRD <Sheri.Stuart at oregon.gov>
Subject: Online Ordering Platform

 

Hi Sheri, 

 

I was wondering if I can submit something over the OMS listserv? Or if you know of any. 

 

I was wondering if anyone has had experience working with an online ordering platform that serves more than one restaurant? Since Cottage Grove is so small and does not have Grub Hub or Uber Eats, we were thinking of an online ordering one stop shop website, where people can order from any of the restaurants on one website rather than checking Facebook or separate websites for updates/menu/ordering? But I have only found websites that use just one restaurant. 

 

Thanks, 

Molly Murai 

 

-- 

Molly Murai 

Main Street Coordinator


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