Applebee’s app delivers seamless simplicity

Glendale, California-based casual dining retailer Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar already allows customers to place orders ahead of time for curbside pickup, but is looking to extend omnichannel convenience even further.

Applebee’s, which operates more than 2,000 franchised stores in 49 states, designed the revised mobile app in partnership with digital ordering provider Olo. The revision comes with new capabilities including a simplified order placement process that allows for advance ordering and order scheduling for any time in the future.

The app also has improved navigation to make it more intuitive, and will save favorite orders and payment details for streamlined ordering. Enhanced payment processing capability allows users to enter and save credit, debit or gift card details within the app for more convenient mobile payment. Customers can still pay at the restaurant upon pick-up.

This improvement to the app and online ordering offering is the most recent upgrade to Applebee's technological capabilities. Other customer-facing solutions include tabletop tablets. The retailer says it has more technological innovations planned for 2016.

For casual dining chains, streamlining and simplifying the customer experience is even more important than for most other retail verticals. Considering the length of time restaurant guests must wait to be seated, give an order and then have their meals prepared, anything a food service retailer can do to simplify and speed up the payment process is a huge contributor to overall satisfaction.