Restaurants are great at a lot of things.
Sharing rich culture and history through cooking. Turning strangers into friends with one cup of coffee. Offering a place of comfort for the communities they proudly serve.
But, the hard-to-swallow truth? Nobody can do everything.
(Even if it seems like our favorite restaurants truly can do it all.)
Luckily, with the seemingly endless amounts of expertise out there, restaurants don’t need to do it all anymore… especially when it comes to their tech solutions.
Establishing a strong restaurant technology partnership (or a few of them!) is the best way to achieve the tech solutions your restaurant wants (and needs) without the pressure of taking tech entirely into your own hands.
So, let’s get started at square one:
What is a restaurant technology partnership… and why should your restaurant care?
Restaurant Technology Partnerships 101
A restaurant technology partnership is pretty much exactly what it sounds like:
A collaborative relationship between your restaurant and another organization that offers restaurant technology solutions.
However, it’s important to note that a restaurant technology partnership isn’t defined by just using a certain organization’s tech — a true technology partnership is far more “bigger picture” than that.
In reality, restaurant technology partnerships focus more on building ongoing, collaborative relationships where your restaurant and its tech partner can grow and thrive together… and that explains the “why.”
With 60% of restaurants planning to invest in new technologies this year, restaurant technology partnerships are becoming more and more popular, not least because they offer more than one-and-done solutions. Technology partnerships give your restaurant a committed, goal-oriented partner to support your business’s growth and development with a direct connection to tech-forward consultation and guidance.
Examples of Restaurant Technology Partnerships
Restaurant technology partnerships have proven to help restaurants in a ton of different ways, from improving long-term growth to streamlining operations. And, to make the idea of a restaurant partner that much better, there’s a wide range of “options” for restaurant technology partnerships, too.
1. Delivery Platform Partnerships
Working with delivery platforms is one way to approach restaurant technology partnerships. These partners work with your restaurant exclusively in the realm of delivery, offering scalable solutions for better, faster, and more efficient delivery.
→ Example: Uber Eats x Domino’s Pizza
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2. Loyalty Platform Partnerships
Collaborating with loyalty platforms is another option for restaurant technology partnerships. Loyalty partners can help your restaurant “find creative ways to reward and build brand loyalty,” according to Kelly MacPherson of Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG).
→ Example: USHG/Shake Shack x Thanx
3. Point-of-Sale (POS) System Partnerships
Restaurant technology partnerships can also focus entirely on POS technology improvements and upgrades. These partnerships can help your restaurant improve POS operations with state-of-the-art technology, artificial intelligence, and more.
→ Example: Grow & Gather x Square
3. Kitchen Display System (KDS) Partnerships
KDS organizations offer another opportunity for restaurant technology partnerships, this time focusing more on back-of-house. Brinker International Inc. for example, is working to “simplify the business and make it fun again” through new KDS improvements.
→ Example: QSR Automations x Brinker International, Inc. (Chili’s)
4. All-in-One Partnerships
Finally, multi-offer businesses provide yet another option for restaurant technology partnerships. These “all-in-one” businesses — like Craver! — offer more than just one technological solution, prioritizing multiple opportunities for growth in the same tech-forward package.
→ Example: Craver x Hometown Coffee & Juice(More on this, later!)
Craver's Checklist for Choosing a Restaurant Technology Partnership
1. Is this restaurant technology partnership’s product a good fit?
When choosing a restaurant technology partner, a strong product fit is key. Whether you’re trying to stay within budget or you’ve got non-negotiable feature requirements, the “right” technology partner is one whose product aligns with both your needs and wants.
Your ideal restaurant technology partner should have:
- Pricing that matches your tech budget.
- The features you/your customers want/need.
- Integrations that are compatible with your existing software.
“Finding an app that could natively work with Square was crucial for us. Craver provided that seamless integration.”
— Marc Hindman, Director of Brand Strategy with Rook Coffee
2. Is this restaurant technology partnership “future-proof” for your business?
The restaurant technology partner you choose should also be adaptable and scalable. Choosing a restaurant technology partner that offers flexibility means your tech investment can change alongside your restaurant’s strategy. You’ll never outgrow tech that grows with you!
Your ideal restaurant technology partner should have:
- Customizable, easy-to-change features.
- Consistently upgraded/improved offerings.
- Up-to-date, innovative technological capabilities.
“My relationship with Craver is excellent. I like that [Craver is] wanting to also grow and improve. We work well together. We definitely want to include this partnership as we grow.”
— Lou Rubin, Hometown Coffee & Juice Owner
3. Is this restaurant technology partnership a strong cultural fit?
Your restaurant technology partner should also align with your restaurant’s mission, vision, and values. You’ll be working closely and frequently with the restaurant technology partner you choose – a strong cultural fit is way more of a “must have” than a “nice to have.”
Your ideal restaurant technology partner should have:
- Aligned mission/vision/values.
- Strong communication and responsiveness.
- Complementary working styles and processes.
“Craver was amazing in answering all of our questions and getting right back to us. [Craver's] customer service has been able to answer every question and if [they] didn't know, [they] figured it out and came back to us.”
— Nina Laughlin, Sips Coffee Manager
4. Can this restaurant technology partnership offer proof of success?
Finally, when choosing a restaurant technology partner, proof of success is a non-negotiable to look for. The restaurant technology partner you choose should easily be able to prove how they’ve helped other restaurants… and how they can help you, too.
Your ideal restaurant technology partner should have:
- Social proof from previous satisfied customers.
- Case studies and/or white papers with real data.
- Easily accessible product demos and interactive samples.
Mini Case Study: Craver x Hometown Coffee & Juice
So, you know what kinds of restaurant technology partnerships exist, and you know what you should be looking out for.
But if you want to know what a successful restaurant technology partnership looks like in practice, just take a peek at Craver’s partnership with Hometown Coffee & Juice.
Hometown Coffee & Juice — a well-loved local hangout spot — was looking for a way to leverage the convenience of tech without sacrificing the vibrant, highly personalized experience their customers have come to know and love.
Lou, one of Hometown’s co-founders, landed on Craver as an “All-in-One” restaurant technology partner because we ticked every one of his checklist’s boxes:
- Product Fit — We seamlessly integrated with Hometown’s existing payment software for a low-barrier transition.
- Future Proof — Our commitment to Hometown’s digital growth aligned perfectly with Lou’s goals for the future.
- Cultural Fit — We showed a genuine commitment to customer experience that Hometown resonated with.
- Proof of Success — Our case studies, testimonials, and product demo gave Hometown the reassurance they needed.
Now, 32% of Hometown’s revenue comes through their custom Craver app… and Hometown’s customers are happier than ever.
“The layout of our previous app wasn't pretty like Craver’s and wasn’t as effective. We sold it as an improvement and it has been. Now, the customer experience is very good.”
— Lou Rubin, Hometown Coffee & Juice
Wrap Up
Establishing a strong restaurant technology partnership — especially with an all-in-one solution like Craver — is a great way to get the restaurant tech you need while giving yourself space to do what you do best.
And, with all of the wildly talented restaurant technology partnerships out there… why wouldn’t you leave tech in your new partner’s oh-so-capable hands?
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