The National Restaurant Association (NRA) announced the winners of this year’s Extreme Digital Makeover. The contest, launched in February to NRA members, was designed to educate operators and suppliers on best practices regarding web presence, email marketing, text messaging, and online ordering.

Winners include Eskimo Joe’s of Stillwater, Oklahoma; Café Reconcile of New Orleans, Louisiana; Taco John’s International Inc. of Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Sam’s of Gedney Way in White Plains, New York.

“We congratulate these deserving winners of our Extreme Digital Makeover campaign,” says Phil Kafarakis, chief innovation and member advancement officer for NRA. “This contest is just one of the many ways we’re helping restaurants build their businesses online. Operators are increasingly realizing the key role technology plays in consumer decision making and we’re excited to support our members in discovering new and innovative ways to reach their customers.”

Contest winners will receive the following prizes from our NRA partners:

·         Eskimo Joe’s will receive one year free text messaging platform service from CMSText

·         Café Reconcile will receive one year free of local marketing suite (email marketing, social media marketing, and reputation management) from Fishbowl

·         Taco John’s will receive one year free of online ordering services and wrap-around services from EatStreet

·         Sam’s of Gedney Way will receive a two-year free digital media package from Mopro

NRA’s latest research shows that restaurant technology is on the rise. More than two in five adults have used a smartphone to find restaurant locations and directions, or viewed menus, and 43 percent have ordered takeout or delivery orders online. Additionally, 36 percent of all adults surveyed say they would like to receive notification of specials or events through social media like Facebook or Twitter, and 61 percent said they would like to receive email or text notifications of daily specials.