Olo, a leading digital food ordering platform for the restaurant industry, announced that it is working together with Google to enable customers to order directly from restaurant brands across Google Search, Maps and the Google Assistant. The integration allows Olo’s network of more than 70,000 restaurant brand locations to be enabled on Google’s platforms so that consumers can order directly on Google from Search and Maps. Users can also use their voice and ask the Google Assistant for help. On Android and iOS phones, users can say, “Hey Google, order food from [restaurant],” or “Hey Google, order food again from [restaurant].”
Rails, Olo’s platform that enables restaurants to efficiently process orders originating from third-party destinations, is now integrated across Search, Maps and the Google Assistant, transferring each order directly into the restaurant’s point of sale and ordering stream to improve operations efficiency and guest experience.
Brands working with Olo and Google enjoy efficiencies of a two-way integration, benefiting from accurate pricing, menu, and product availability, while inbound orders are automatically placed into existing point-of-sale (POS) systems. Rails makes it easy for restaurant operators to list menu items on third-party marketplaces and drive incremental sales without the need to manage multiple tablets on the restaurant counter and disparate order flows. This integration reduces lag, increases order success rates, and enables faster and more accurate ordering experiences.
“Search is increasingly becoming the path to purchase in the restaurant space and we are thrilled to team up with Google to make ordering easy while allowing restaurants to own the digital relationship with their guests,” says Noah Glass, founder and CEO of Olo. “Any consumer searching for a restaurant brand should have easy options to order from the restaurant directly with as few clicks as possible, which is what this integration enables.”
The integration is one of the latest tools to help restaurant brands receive online orders. Portillo’s Hot Dogs and Checkers & Rally’s were the first Olo brands to pioneer this integration with Google, providing enablement to their high-volume locations for customers.
“Olo continues to be an integral technology partner as Checkers & Rally’s seeks to engage more customers through e-commerce channels,” says Jason Carrigan, VP of Digital and Guest Experience at Checkers & Rally’s. “The latest integration with Google enables the brand to conveniently serve guests that are already searching for a Checkers or Rally’s near them, and provide a frictionless ordering and pickup experience. We view this as a major growth opportunity for Checkers & Rally’s and we are proud to be one of the first restaurant brands to partner with Olo to make food ordering easier across Google’s platforms.”
“Portillo’s Hot Dogs is thrilled to be one of the first restaurant brands to seamlessly integrate digital ordering into Google’s search results pages,” adds Nick Scarpino, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Off-Premise Dining at Portillo’s Hot Dogs. “Our team takes great pride in making the ordering process as seamless as possible, and this integration enables guests to place a direct digital order more quickly than ever. We are proud to partner with Olo to continue improving our guests’ digital ordering experience across Google’s platforms.”