Web-expert FOODit is helping restaurants to attract hundreds of extra customers and boost sales by up to £35K a year with a web service that gets restaurants online in five days and for an entry price of £83.
CEO Rif Kiamil said the web provides huge opportunities for restaurants: “It’s a chance to be found by new customers and to keep current customers coming back. But having a website doesn’t guarantee you’ll be found.”
FOODit helps restaurants that have a delivery or takeaway service to optimise visibility on Google and Bing searches and to have a social media presence. Staff can track and manage online and in-store orders via an app, which keeps customers informed of the progress of their order in real time.
“Some people are already telling us that they’re getting hundreds of extra customers”, said Mr Kiamil. “We estimate that restaurants can add £15K to sales by using us, but some restaurants have reported as much as £35K in extra sales from online orders generated by FOODit.”
The business differs from others in the same marketplace by giving restaurant owners visibility of customer data. “This means you can get to know them by name and can see their purchasing habits – it’s a great opportunity for tailored marketing campaigns”, said Mr Kiamil.
Restaurants are offered a range of packages to choose from, depending on the level of support and equipment they need. “We’ve noticed that many caterers already have a smartphone or tablet, so we’re offering an entry-level price of £83 to make it easy and affordable to work with us,” said Mr Kiamil.
FOODit is funded by foodservice specialist JJ Food Service and launched with just two staff last year. “Now we have sixteen staff and growing. We expect to hit 50 by the end of the year,” said Mr Kiamil. The business is also looking at offices in the USA and Australia.
FOODit and JJ Food Service will be exhibiting at the Take Away Innovation Expo on 17th & 18th September at Olympia, London, stand number T254.
