As restaurants up their digital game and lean heavily on online ordering in a market fraught with challenges, Popmenu continues to expand its suite of guest-facing technology to help them increase efficiencies and capture more business. Popmenu announced today that it is acquiring OrderNerd, a fast-growing, innovative player in the food ordering and delivery space. This is the latest addition to Popmenu’s one-stop, next-gen platform built specifically for restaurants.

High Demand for Online Ordering Tech Continues

After becoming a lifeline for restaurants during the pandemic, online ordering technology will remain at center stage as strong takeout demand persists and restaurants look to increase operational efficiencies and sales alongside their more profitable on-premise business.

• Following steady growth, the food delivery market more than doubled in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now worth more than $150 billion globally.
• 42% of U.S. consumers order takeout three or more days a week.
• 51% of U.S. restaurant owners and operators plan to automate more online operations in 2022.

 

How Popmenu and OrderNerd Are Solving Big Problems for Restaurants

Atlanta-based innovators Popmenu and OrderNerd are helping more than 6,000 restaurants nationwide simplify operations, cut costs and grab a bigger share of diners’ wallets as they contend with a worrisome labor shortage, unpredictable market and changing consumer behaviors.

Popmenu began by transforming hard-to-read, text-heavy PDF online menus to dynamic, interactive menus that feature photos, offer the ability to review each dish and are search engine optimized – resulting in more traffic and higher customer conversions. Now, Popmenu manages the whole restaurant website with an immersive experience, online ordering and waitlisting. AI-enabled, integrated marketing tools automate outreach from social posts and Google ads to text messages and emails to keep guests coming back. All guest-facing technology can be found on one platform instead of living in multiple tools that don’t talk to each other and cost more added together than a one-stop solution.

The acquisition of OrderNerd – a leading-edge tech company that partners with local independents and national brands such as Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 1000 Degrees Pizza and Moe’s Original BBQ – helps to simplify and expedite online ordering and delivery for clients. Instead of juggling different tablets and printers to track online orders coming in from various third-party food delivery apps, OrderNerd enables restaurant staff to manage all orders from one device and send those orders to one printer. OrderNerd also consolidates the sales reporting for the back office. Popmenu will integrate the technology into its existing platform as well as offer it as a standalone solution, capturing more guest data from third-party orders.

“Popmenu and OrderNerd built our technologies because we love restaurants and we want to help them be more successful,” says Brendan Sweeney, CEO and co-founder of Popmenu. “Restaurants have been told that technology has to be complex. We disagree. We work closely with restaurants to design easy solutions that increase efficiency and sales while eliminating costs. OrderNerd’s fantastic user experience and streamlined ordering technology are a perfect fit. Their vision for the future is well-aligned with ours and we’re excited to work with them to create new possibilities for restaurants and their guests.”

“Restaurants were hit hard by the pandemic and have struggled to reach economies of scale with existing technologies,” says Tony Roy, President and co-founder of Popmenu. “Popmenu and OrderNerd want to change that narrative and simplify the digital world for restaurants. We’re driving innovation and consolidating technology and data wherever we can to solve problems and improve revenue and profitability for restaurants. There is a shared sincerity in wanting to help the industry and we look forward to the opportunities ahead as online ordering continues to grow.”  

“When I met with the leadership team at Popmenu, I was immediately fond of how much they cared for their customers,” says Stephen Gladney, CEO and co-founder of OrderNerd. “They built an outstanding platform that complements OrderNerd’s technology and their innovative culture and genuine empathy for clients are what we were looking for in a partner. We’re excited to join the Popmenu family and bring new solutions to market as we continue on our shared mission to help restaurants thrive.”