Meet Carlos O'Kelly's
Founded in 1981, Carlos O'Kelly's is a family-owned, Mexican-inspired restaurant with multiple locations in the Midwest. They pride themselves on helping customers connect with friends around delicious, made-from-scratch foods.
The challenge: Improving digital ordering
Before switching to Online Ordering, Carlos O'Kelly's had a few different challenges. The online ordering on their website wasn't intuitive, which frustrated customers and impacted sales. This caused many customers to resort to placing pickup orders via phone, slowing operations and leading to errors. Their online ordering system also required using multiple tablets, resulting in additional work and fees. Finally, online ordering wasn't as profitable as it could have been due to commissions charged by their previous provider.
The solution: Online Ordering
Carlos O'Kelly's implemented Online Ordering, a brandable solution that makes it easy to grow sales across their own channels (website, native apps, social media, Google page). They:
Added Smart Button: Displayed "Order Now" button on every page of their website
Simplified Operations for Employees: Consolidated to one tablet for all orders
Reduced Costs: Eliminated commission fees, paying only for payment processing*
Improved Accuracy: Reduced errors from phone orders
"We know people are probably coming to our restaurant website to either find a location, look at the menu, and order. [Online Ordering] has really helped us convert people into orders...Being able to get off-premise in such a streamlined way has not only helped with sales and new customers, but it has also helped the staff be able to manage [orders] better than they had in the past."
Results: Growing digital success
After switching to Online Ordering, Carlos O'Kelly's saw a 761% increase in total online order volume during the first month — and nine out of ten came directly from pickup.* The increase in online orders also improved both customer and employee experiences by streamlining the ordering process and freeing up staff to focus on in-person guests. With orders flowing through one system and commission-free ordering,** they significantly boosted operational efficiency and profit margins.
Want to make ordering easier for your customers? Learn more about Online Ordering.
*According to data from 2023, comparing the four weeks before and four weeks after adding Online Ordering.
