Menu apps the key to a restaurant’s survival

If they can’t find your restaurant menu on an app, they’re likely going elsewhere.

That’s the case for some slow-moving businesses that aren’t keeping up, according to recent reports analyzing fast-food restaurant trends.

Some 43% of consumers want to order meals via an app, according to a National Restaurant Association (NRA) study. However, only 18% of its members have a menu app.

“Operators who have not already expanded into off-premises offering must consider doing so or being left behind,” according to the NRA report, “Harnessing Technology to Drive Off-Premise Sales.”

That’s because mobile orders are expected to be 11% of all quick-service restaurant sales this year. That amounts to some $38 billion, according to a Business Insider Intelligence report.

Franchise restaurants are constantly under pressure to grow, and delivery service is a key to doing well, according to a TD Bank poll of 270 restaurant executives.

Most of the survey respondents — 78% —said they already have a delivery strategy, but in many cases “it’s a work in progress,” TD Bank says.

Hudson Riehle, a senior VP with NRA, said “the rapid development of apps and loyalty programs are very important for restaurants expecting strong growth.” He added that includes “deciding if they should use a third party” for deliveries.

Millennials, says a Bankrate study of dining habits, tend to dine out an average of five times per week. That’s more than any other generation — meaning that an effective mobile ordering strategy is absolutely essential for future growth.