In August 2020 we have released our pilot project for restaurants in our hometown Cluj-Napoca, through Zoniz app. The main functionalities available allowed customers to make reservations, to make direct orders through the app while in the restaurant and make use of different promotions like loyalty campaigns or vouchers. But as we were getting ready to transition from the pilot phase of the project to extending it to more restaurants, the Covid-19 health crisis determined the restaurants in the country to close for an undetermined period. So we have decided to pivot towards delivery for the time being.

How it works

The restaurant can use the same products in their content management system for both the table order menu and the delivery menu, or they can make the items available for only one of them. This gives the restaurant the flexibility of creating different menus if they want to. The app users can see the products in the menu by category, with photo, description and price. They have to provide contact details and payment option. The available payment options are set by the restaurant per their possibilities and can include cash, card or online payment through the app.

Once the customer has placed the order, the restaurant personnel will receive it through the order management app (which can be accessed by browser from a desktop, laptop or tablet). The order management app allows the restaurant to accept or cancel orders or update their status. It is also a fast and easy way to update their inventory. Alternatively, we have also created a mobile app for notifications only, to help the shop or restaurant to receive order notifications on their phone while on the move.

Implementation

We have created and offered the delivery features as a crisis response, in order to help the hospitality industry to continue their activity. Therefore, in the beginning phase of this project, we were only able to include restaurants with their own logistics regarding delivery. We continued working with DOT that has created a delivery menu in addition to their terrace menu and we added some new restaurants and shops, such as: Mix, Infused, Bere din Bucovina, Blend. Bottleshop and Taproom and others.

Although our main focus remains the in-restaurant experience, we learned a lot about the advantages of being open-minded and flexible, especially in times of uncertainty. The delivery and pick-up options will remain a part of our portfolio, hoping we can provide a greater variety of services for our partners.