Four Ways to Capitalize on Online Orders Without Compromising Your Dine-In Experience

Online ordering proved to be a significant advantage for the restaurants that got it right from the get-go. Now, online ordering is everywhere, and more than a quarter of Americans order takeout one or more times per week.This frequency is great news for many restaurants, especially because data from Deloitte shows that online customers spend 20 percent more than those who dine in. However, the fact that digital ordering is growing 300 percent faster than dine-in could hurt restaurants that aren’t prepared for it.

In some specific cases, online ordering isn’t a good fit for an otherwise popular restaurant. Hibachi grills or similar venues like the Fire+Ice restaurants, for example, are based on an experiential concept that online customers would miss out on. Let’s face it — onion volcanos have never made good takeout material.

Other restaurants will have trouble tapping into online ordering because of the types of food they serve. At chef Zach Pollack’s Alimento…