DoorDash is acquiring digital ordering startup Bbot with an eye toward offering restaurants more on-premise ordering tools.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. It is part of DoorDash’s ongoing transformation from a delivery company into an all-around tech provider for restaurants, and will also allow it to break into the world of bars, breweries and hotels.
The company already offers white-label online ordering for pickup and delivery through its Storefront product. Adding Bbot will give operators the ability to digitize ordering and payment inside the restaurant as well.
With Bbot, guests scan a QR code with their phone to view the menu, order and pay. They can also place orders with a server on the same tab. The company said this provides a better experience for guests and frees up staff to focus on customer service and upselling, which in turn increases check size and revenue.
It has caught on with restaurants as well as other venues that do most of their business on-site, like bars and hotels, said DoorDash Chief Revenue Officer Tom Pickett—opening up a large new potential market for DoorDash.
The delivery company tested a contactless ordering product using QR codes early in the pandemic, but ultimately didn’t move forward with it, Pickett said. Since then, the technology “has really moved beyond contactless to something that can really drive sales efficiently for restaurants,” he said. And DoorDash felt Bbot had the best-in-class version of that technology.
“We really like the flexibility they have within the product,” Pickett said. “They really have an open mindset in terms of being able to integrate and customize in many ways. And we like the team.”
With about 100 employees, Bbot is still relatively small. Joining DoorDash will give it access to the company’s network of more than 550,000 merchant partners.
The deal is expected to close in the first quarter, and new and existing customers will be able to use it for free through Aug. 31. After that, they’ll pay a $49 monthly fee and no commissions, Pickett said.
Bbot CEO and co-founder Steve Simoni will remain with the company as a digital product leader.
The service joins a growing list of B2B products offered by DoorDash, including white-label delivery, online ordering and website building, robotics and financing.
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