Outside the Four Walls: A Sudden Shift in Behavior

In February of 2020, the restaurant industry was on a long, slow march toward digital sales growth. As a percentage of overall sales, digital averaged around five percent. Some leaders, including brands like Wingstop, Chipotle, Starbucks, and others, as a result of early investments in the digital customer experience, were already experiencing well-above-average digital sales numbers, and were much better prepared for what came next.

In March of 2020, the world changed. 

Suddenly, the ability to engage customers digitally – to take orders via apps and websites, to fulfill orders via delivery and curbside pickup, all occurring “outside the four walls” – became existential. Restaurant brands, from the largest Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) to the smallest neighborhood fine dining experiences, were caught in varying degrees of flat footedness. Everyorder now needed to come from sales channels that yesterday represented only a modest portion of sales. A technical, operational…