There’s an App for That: Franchisors Fight Slumping Sales, Millenials
Chair, Franchise & Distribution Practice Group
by Barry Kurtz
818-907-3006
How has the gourmet burger gone awry? According to Fox, the better burger business dropped five percent in foot traffic at quick-serve restaurants last year, primarily because consumers are opting to “DIY” their food at home.
But why would customers go through the hassle of firing up the grill when it’s so much easier to belly-up to a counter and place an order? For many, double-digit burgers just cost too much.
Franchisors are taking notice, and making adjustments.
Some are offering premium toppings to compete with the fancier restaurant chains. Others like McDonald’s plan to try using non-frozen beef or offer more “Signature Crafted” items alongside the menu mainstays. Franchises like Wendy’s are sticking to lower price point items, knowing the average consumer just can’t spend $6.00 per day on lunch, according to the article.
Chains in fast food (Burger King), quick-serve (Habit) and full service, sit-down style restaurants (Red Robin) are offering rewards programs to encourage brand loyalty through discounts and freebies. These strategies may help bring back those customers wanting to save money.
But there’s another reason diners are cutting back on eating out: Physically going to restaurants just costs too much in time and stress. Some even characterize it as a “dying tradition” that eats up too much of the work day. Just consider the coordination of schedules, the drive to the restaurant, a hunt for parking, the wait for a table, the wait for service…all of that time adds up. It’s daunting.
And some blame the millennials, who, believe it or not, prefer to cook at home more than their parents did. They also rely more on fast, cheaper meals provided by grocery stores, grocery delivery services, and a new wave of hi-tech, time-saving web based applications for curbside pickup or delivery.
Speed seems to be key here. Denny’s just launched Denny’s on Demand, allowing customers to place orders for pickup or delivery, and pay for those orders. Forget 30 minute pizza delivery. In the land “Down Under”, Dominos is working on making and delivering pizzas in 10 minutes or less.
Jack in the Box recently teamed up with DoorDash to deliver curly fries and tacos to home addresses. McDonald’s hopes to drive up profits through UberEats, now available in 100 test markets across the country. Eat24 and Yelp will help web visitors find fast food delivery services within their zip codes.
All in all, apps seem to be the way of the future for restaurants craving more business. Some eateries in the Los Angeles area are claiming anywhere from a 2 to 35 percent increases in sales due to expanded digital assets. But what should franchisors know about the legal ramifications of going hi-tech?
A Franchisor’s Mobilization Plan
Some recent litigation in the dawn of digital gastronomy points the way. Franchisors should ensure they hire the right developers to reduce the risk of litigation. Important aspects to consider include:
Accessibility: This is a big issue, as ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) suits are on the rise. Sweetgreen, Inc., a Washington D.C. based salad chain faced a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of visually-impaired plaintiffs. The app Sweetgreen had developed to allow customers to order online for faster pickup worked great for those who could see. But those customers who were impaired or blind weren’t able to customize their orders as easily, and spent extra time refining their choices at the restaurant. For this group, the app wasn’t time-saving at all.
Intellectual Property Rights: It’s common for developers to borrow code already written, rather than reinvent the wheel every time they build a new site or app. The same applies to graphics and text. However, developers are being targeted more and more often for trademark, copyright or patent infringement. Franchisors should ensure the developers own all elements used in the project, have the licensed rights to use all elements, or that the developers assume all responsibility should IP litigation be initiated.
Privacy: This one’s always an issue, as anything that connects to the internet can be hacked. Just ask Starbucks, which attributes a third of its sales to purchases made through its app. The franchise also claims that less than one percent of its app users have actually been hacked, and that the fault lies with users employing simplistic passwords. Whether those claims are true or not, the hacking is turning out to be a bit of a social media challenge for the coffee franchise.
Third Party Partnerships: Customers are generally unaware when they place an order online through their favorite restaurant’s website that the food will actually be delivered through a third party delivery service. Zoomer is one example, and plaintiffs allege the company violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act and other laws when the delivery service sent customers unauthorized texts after placing food orders with partner restaurants. Granted, it’s the delivery service that is facing the lawsuit – but franchisors should be wary of using any third party service that will annoy customers. Or break the law.
As for the non-digital logistics, remember the practicalities: People who order online generally don’t want to communicate with the restaurant – they want to get in and out quickly, or just have food delivered without fuss. Consider more short-term parking or curb service for pickups; counter space, windows or staff dedicated just to online orders; and whether or not it’s better to employ your own delivery staff or contract out.
Most importantly, make sure the app works, and that it works well – there’s no point in developing an app that doesn’t allow customers to order, customize selections, and pay. Useless apps without these features tend to get slammed in reviews. And the critics are harsh, as seen in the example to the right.
Barry Kurtz is a State Bar of California Certified Specialist in Franchise & Distribution Law.