9 Steps to Pick a Provider to

Develop Your Branded Channels

Launching your
branded channels is
a commitment.
It takes time and resources for a restaurant like yours
to develop a quality branded app and web ordering
platform that your guests will love, and having the right
partner on your side ensures that you make the most of
your efforts. But how do you know what to look for in
the perfect partner?

Grubhub and LevelUp work with hundreds of national

brands each and every day to develop their branded
channels. We have decades of combined experience
building and analyzing the restaurant industry’s most
successful guest engagement and acquisition programs.
In the coming pages, we’ll discuss the must-have
characteristics that you should look for when selecting a
partner to help you outpace the industry’s top players.

2
MUST-HAVE #1

They see your app as just one part of an

omni-channel guest engagement program.
Your brand’s app is just one piece of the puzzle when it
comes to engaging customers digitally. New guests can find
you, and loyal guests can engage with you, not only within
your owned channels like your app, website, and social
What you should ask…
profiles, but also through ordering channels like Grubhub,
Yelp, and Google Maps. • Can you seamlessly connect my restaurant’s branded
channels to other digital channels, including delivery
Your partner needs to offer ways that you can take
aggregators, social networks, and the websites guests
advantage of every piece of the omni-channel puzzle. They
frequent when searching for a place to eat?
should have a team dedicated to developing your branded
channels, and exclusive partnerships with a wide range of • What digital partners are you currently working with?
innovative companies that help your business grow, acquire What exclusive relationships do you have?
new customers, and increase sales.
• Do you have a network of potential guests that
It’s critical that your partner can seamlessly sync all don’t necessarily know about our brand that we can
aspects of your digital business, including your menu, immediately leverage?
brand identity, loyalty and rewards program, and social
virality systems, across all channels, and can tailor them
per channel as needed.

3
MUST-HAVE #2

They have a track record of proven

restaurant industry experience.
The restaurant industry is unique.
From in-store operations to
marketing hurdles, restaurants
have specific challenges that
What you should ask…
other businesses simply don’t
face. Your branded channel • Do you work exclusively with restaurant
development partner should be clients? How long have you been working
intimately acquainted with those with the restaurant industry?
challenges to help you tackle them.
• What improvements can my business expect

A partner with this experience to see when I partner with you?

will know which digital channels

• Can you show me examples of restaurant
most effectively reach new guests
apps that you’ve developed, along with
online, what makes restaurant
usage and performance data?
guests want to use an app, and
what promotions actually impact
guest behavior.

4
MUST-HAVE #3

They let you own your guest data, and they help you
use it creatively, carefully, and with your goals in mind.
With an app or web ordering platform comes a treasure trove of data through which you can expertly target new and existing guests with
offers they’ll love.

Your branded channel platform can capture a wide array of data, including the
following guests:

1. Anonymous people who have never visited your store What you should ask…
2. Those who visit your store, but for whom you have only POS data
• How does your company protect
3. “Jane,” who comes in 3 days a week and is part of your loyalty program user data?
4. “Jack,” who comes in 3 days a week, has 10k followers on Instagram,
and is an accountant at ACME. • Could you show me some examples of
how your other restaurant partners use
Your provider should have a solution to attract and retain each of those data to segment and target customers
customers expertly. For instance, Jane may benefit from an in-app rewards with creative campaigns?
campaign; Jack could become a brand ambassador if you send him some swag;
• Will I have full access to and ownership
and groups #1 and #2 should be targeted via Grubhub, Yelp, social media sites,
of my customer data? How will you
or other acquisition channels to get them into your stores.
provide it to me?

A good partner will also allow you to own your guest data, and use it however
you see fit.

5
MUST-HAVE #4

They seamlessly integrate with your

existing technology.
All of your restaurant technology
needs to work in tandem. Restaurants WELCOME BACK,
CHRISTOPHER!
often use different technology
providers for their point-of-sale,
online ordering, and kitchen display What you should ask…
systems. Your branded channels MyMyRewards
Rewards
• Have you integrated with [insert
must easily plug into existing systems
name of your technology system My Orders
without creating cumbersome steps or
here] before? When was the last time
complications. Scan to Pay
you updated that integration?

In order to accomplish this seamless ORDER NOW

• Can you tell me about clients
integration, a great partner will have
that also use [insert name of your
open APIs that allow data to be
technology system here]?
shared easily. They’ll also have strong
partnerships with a wide array of
technology providers, including those
you already work with.

6
MUST-HAVE #5

They clearly understand your brand.

You put a lot of thought into your restaurant’s branding, from logos and
signage to store design and everything in between. Creating your digital
presence – including your app, website, and other channels – gives you
What you should ask…
the unique opportunity to translate your authentic brand to guests before • How would you describe my restaurant’s brand?
they even walk through your doors.
• Can you show me apps you’ve built that you
think are well-branded? Can you show me some
Upon meeting, your partner should have researched every detail of your
apps that have a similar look and feel to my
brand, including colors, logos, messaging style, and overall aesthetic.
restaurant’s branding?
Next, you’ll need to analyze whether the partner can translate your • How do you integrate branding across all digital
brand into a strong digital experience. Ask to see examples of apps channels?
and websites they’ve created that best showcase a restaurant’s branding.

7
MUST-HAVE #6

They can build all of the

functionality you need (and want!).
How can you be sure your partner will build the branded Whether you’re looking for basic functionality, to pick and
channels that you envision? To begin, your partner should be choose features, or for a completely innovative branded ordering
able to explain how all of the features work and demonstrate experience, your pricing and project timeline should be
them in action. A few must-have features include: straightforward. Your partner should clearly communicate those
details so your team feels prepared and informed.
Order ahead
Loyalty + rewards
Customizable menu
Push notifications
What you should ask…
Digital upselling
Stored payment • I’d love to see a demo. Can you show me what my
Restaurant locator guests’ experience would look like from beginning
Easy order + quick reorder to end?
Guest feedback
• What features do you recommend including in my
Integrated delivery
app, website, and other digital channels?
...and more
• Can you give me some examples of custom

A best-in-class partner will possess ample experience creating functionality that you’ve built for your clients?

custom functionality and features. Every brand is different,

and a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t cut it.

8
MUST-HAVE #7

They focus on scalable growth.

Restaurants know well the danger of expanding to too many
locations too quickly. The same goes for the partner you choose
to develop your branded channels. Dive into the provider’s growth
patterns and examine how quickly they’ve expanded their team,
funding, and the number of restaurant locations they service.
Scalable growth across all these parameters ensures that your
partner has the bandwidth to focus on all clients equally – not just What you should ask…
on their largest one.
• What has your funding trajectory looked like
over the past few years? How quickly have you
grown your team?

• How does your team ensure that all restaurant

partners receive equal attention before,
throughout, and after the development process?

9
MUST-HAVE #8

They retain a world-class, well-rounded team.

The digital world is quickly and constantly evolving. You need a team that can plan upgrades, make strategic decisions, and ensure your
branded channels are cutting-edge. The ideal team includes:

Engineering Team: Your partner should prioritize

Project Lead: Your go-to team leader, the project product first. They should have a large, core team
lead coordinates your entire digital experience of engineers constantly working in the background
and helps you make improvements along the way. to research, innovate, and develop to ensure your
branded channels are ahead of the curve.

Designer: A designer ensures that your

Data Scientist: Your CRM and dashboard make
app, website, and other digital channels are
data easily digestible. A data scientist can help
visually appealing, consistent, and meet brand
uncover more complex insights.
guidelines.

10
 Marketing Strategist: The marketer provides Trainer: An on-site trainer teaches you and your
a unique game plan for promoting your colleagues, or franchise managers as you wish,
brand digitally. They also help you formulate how to best take advantage of the your new
promotional campaigns to meet your goals. branded channel experience.

Customer Care Team: A specialized, large, 24/7 in-house customer support team ensures your guests always have
someone to contact if issues arise.

Always research your partner’s

leadership team and executives. What you should ask…
A partner with a clear company
vision and long-tenured • Who will be my primary contact?

employees will be more reliable • Who will be working with my team on an ongoing basis? Can I meet them?
and equipped to make your • What can you tell me about the team building out my app?
digital strategy a success.

11
MUST-HAVE #9

They constantly innovate and improve.

It’s a no-brainer that your partner should create a fantastic branded digital experience for your restaurant, but it doesn’t stop there. They
should always be improving and upgrading the platform on which your branded channels are built, as well as dreaming up and executing
new features, user experience improvements, and ways to bring more value to your business. Your partner should be able to predict how
consumer behavior will evolve and improve their technology simultaneously.

“Technology has fundamentally changed our lives, and irreversibly so. And, absolutely, it’s fundamentally changed the restaurant
industry.” — Aaron Allen, Restaurant Marketing Consultant

Be sure your restaurant – and the partner you choose – stays ahead of the curve.

What you should ask…

• Can you tell me about the latest improvements to your platform?

• What user experience projects are you working on?

• What other new features are in development?

• Can I see your product roadmap?

12
Finding the right
partner to build your
branded channels is
important…
…and the work doesn’t end once your channels are
created. It really is only the beginning of the journey to a
full digital engagement solution that brings your business
to the next level through campaigns, marketing, data
analysis, innovation, and more.

With the right criteria and enough research, your choice

of partner is easy.

For further advice or information on developing a

digital strategy:

visit www.thelevelup.com
contact hello@thelevelup.com.

13