In today’s fast-evolving food and dining landscape, quick service restaurants (QSRs) and fast casual brands face a new imperative: deliver seamless, unified experiences across every customer touchpoint—whether mobile, in-store, or delivery. As consumer expectations for convenience, personalization, and speed continue to rise, the brands that succeed are those that break down silos between channels, harness data, and leverage technology to create frictionless, memorable journeys.
The shift to omnichannel is more than a trend—it’s a business necessity. Research shows that nearly 40% of diners prefer to order via mobile app or online, and half use their phones to browse menus. Yet, loyalty is fragile: a single poor delivery or pickup experience can prompt customers to delete an app, regardless of the quality of the food. This underscores the need for end-to-end quality and consistency across all channels.
Leading QSRs are investing in platforms that unify mobile apps, web ordering, in-store kiosks, and loyalty programs. This ensures a consistent brand experience and allows customers to move seamlessly between channels—starting an order on their phone, customizing it at a kiosk, and earning rewards regardless of how they transact.
Example: A global fast food chain partnered with Publicis Sapient to redesign its app and e-commerce platform, ensuring design and user flow consistency across mobile and web. The result? A 44% increase in transactions and a 44.6% boost in revenue, driven by a frictionless, omnichannel experience.
Personalization is at the heart of modern customer engagement. By integrating CRM, POS, and content management systems, brands can deliver offers and communications tailored to individual preferences and behaviors—whether via email, app notifications, or in-store prompts.
Example: A global QSR leveraged a mobile-first CRM program to unite content and offers across channels. Integration with the app, CMS, and POS enabled real-time, personalized rewards, resulting in a 40% increase in guest spend and a 30% rise in average weekly visits among loyalty members.
Unified data platforms are essential for understanding customer behavior, optimizing marketing, and improving operational efficiency. Machine learning and analytics can segment customers, predict demand, and automate test-and-learn campaigns, allowing brands to quickly scale successful initiatives.
Example: A leading QSR built a customer data platform capable of processing over one million transactions per minute, issuing tailored offers in real time. This data-driven approach led to a 14% growth in sales, a 5x increase in testing velocity, and a 500% ROI.
Modern QSRs are reimagining the in-store experience with self-service kiosks, contactless payment, and digital waitlist registration. Off-premise, they’re integrating with third-party delivery platforms while also building direct channels to own more of the customer relationship and data.
Example: A U.S.-based restaurant and gift store chain revamped its mobile app to include waitlist registration and pay-in-app features, reducing checkout steps by 50% and driving $1M in incremental food sales in just six months.
The most successful brands foster a culture of experimentation, using analytics to rapidly test, validate, and scale new features or campaigns. This agility enables them to respond to shifting consumer behaviors and market conditions with speed and confidence.
Example: By automating the test-and-learn process, one global restaurant chain achieved a 5x increase in testing velocity and a 75% reduction in reporting time, enabling faster innovation and measurable sales lifts.
The future of food and dining is omnichannel, data-driven, and relentlessly focused on the customer. Whether it’s drive-thru, curbside pickup, delivery, or in-store dining, menus and experiences must evolve to fit each channel and local preference. Brands that invest in unified platforms, real-time data, and a test-and-learn mindset will be best positioned to deliver the hyper-personalized, seamless experiences today’s guests demand.
At Publicis Sapient, we help QSRs and fast casual brands break down silos, harness the power of data, and build the digital foundations for sustained growth. Ready to transform your restaurant experience? Connect with us to discover how tailored omnichannel strategies can drive your next wave of success.