Restaurant Business tests chain apps

Chain restaurants are constantly rolling out new apps—or updates and expansions of existing ones—to try and boost their mobile business. But earning one of the coveted spots on a consumer's smartphone is no easy feat. In fact, a Deloitte study last month found that most consumers have fewer than three restaurant apps on their phone.

To get a sense of what’s working, as well as what’s not, the Restaurant Business team gathered to test out apps that have been added or updated in the last year. We ranked the design, navigation and ease of use on a score of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, as well as looked at all of the different functions and their usefulness. While it seems like ordering and loyalty have become table stakes, especially for QSRs and fast casuals, navigation and ease of use is what’s setting some apart from the pack.

Want us to consider your app for our next test? Shoot us an email at swirth@winsightmedia.com.  

The burger chain’s first order-and-pay app launched in late October, with the service only available for its Midtown East location in Manhattan for now. With the features still in test, there’s no timeline for expanding to other restaurants as of yet.

Pleasing design: 4.5
Ease of navigation: 4.5
User-friendly: 4.5

The features: Users can indicate allergies when creating their accounts, but the app itself doesn’t break information down to the macronutrient level beyond cage-free, hormone-free, antibiotic-free and GMO-free. Our testers enjoyed the quick tutorial when the app is first opened, as well as the live “Shack Cam” at the location in test to help determine the wait lines. 

In addition to easing the payment process by being able to save credit and gift card details, the updated version of the app allows Applebee’s diners to pay ahead as well as schedule their order for a future time.

Pleasing design: 2
Ease of navigation: 4
User-friendly: 4

The features: Per our testers, it was “a cinch” to use the ordering feature and it’s very easy to navigate—especially with the use of pictures for all of its food, but the app is purely transactional. There’s no clear homepage or a place to start guiding customers through the experience. Plus, there were a lot of spacing and simple editing mistakes that one tester said gave her a negative feeling about the quality. 

The ordering interface had a lot of food photos and bright colors, making for an attractive app. The app also features a barcode for quickly earning and redeeming rewards points.

Pleasing design: 4.5
Ease of navigation: 3.5
User-friendly: 2.5

The features: Many features within the app require logging in (including features as simple as the menu), which our testers didn’t like. They also wished the app would suggest nearby locations or list all locations rather than having them enter their zip code multiple times. They did, however, enjoy that the app saves order histories, and their favorite feature was the FAQ section that answered questions specific to the app and its features. 

Outback’s app is all about easing the in-store experience. Users can see wait times at nearby locations and put themselves on the list remotely, as well as share their location with dining partners via text from within the app. Diners also can pay with the app and automatically access rewards.

Pleasing design: 4
Ease of navigation: 4.5
User-friendly: 4.5

The features: Besides the fact that our testers loved the fun nature of the app—it calls users “mate”—testers loved that they could plan their visit and get on the waitlist in advance. Testers also enjoyed the clear, convenient Rewards Tracker; users can sign up for rewards with their cellphone number. The one thing our testers would change: When paying via the app, diners can use coupons, but they have to enter coupon codes; they wish coupons were automatically put in, like rewards are. 

The loyalty and payment app has pretty much everything covered in terms of features, said one tester. In addition to basic ordering and loyalty, it has nutritional information and saves an online order history. The one thing missing: a menu button.

Pleasing design: 4.5
Ease of navigation: 5
User-friendly: 3

The features: It was easy to find the nearest unit, which was important, since the emerging chain was new to the tester’s area. Testers also wanted a little bit of an explanation or background on the newer concept (admittedly, something other testers said was unnecessary for legacy brands’ apps). But finding the menu—apart from when it was time to place an order—made it hard to browse. Another tester liked the nutritional calculator, but thought it was a little clunky to have to enter each item separately into the calculator versus being able to select and calculate all of the toppings together at once.  

Arguably one of the most popular restaurant apps—often used as the shining star that others strive for with ordering apps—the chain keeps adding features, among the latest of which is pay-ahead ordering and pickup.

Pleasing design: 4.5
Ease of navigation: 4
User-friendly: 4.5

The features: Among the perks, app users can filter nearby locations by amenities such as evening menu and late-night hours, as well as nutritional information that’s incorporated into the menu versus having to look elsewhere for calorie counts. And the ability to have a Spotify music playlist in the app was “more interesting than I thought,” said one tester. For all of the hype—one tester even referred to it as the gold standard of apps—there’s no home button, and one tester discovered only by accident that he had to swipe down to leave a section.

While White Castle’s app only has two out of five stars in the App Store, the simple order-and-pay app scored well among our testers. 

Pleasing design: 4.5
Ease of navigation: 4.5
User-friendly: 5

The features: Delivery isn’t an option, but our testers enjoyed that they can choose to pick up their orders via the drive-thru and schedule the pickup time down to the minute. The chain—not known for its healthy options—doesn’t list nutritional information, but it does use bright colors and large fonts to make reading the menu easy. 

The QSR’s ordering and payment app not only saves credit card information; it saves favorite orders to ease the next trip to Chick-fil-A.

Pleasing design: 4
Ease of navigation: 4.5
User-friendly: 5

The features: “I’m pretty sure this app has everything you could possibly need,” said one tester. In today’s customizable environment, the app has an allergen filter and also allows for a lot of personalizing within the ordering screen, including the option to add sauces and condiments and switch ingredients in dishes. 

In addition to traditional ordering and loyalty features, the Freebirds app also offers digital gift cards and has a newsfeed for users to stay up to date on the chain’s happenings and offers.

Pleasing design: 4
Ease of navigation: 4
User-friendly: 4

The features: While testers thought the app was pretty straightforward, they did not like that they could not view the menu unless they were ordering. For repeat visits, though, the app saves order history and favorite orders to ease the experience. 

The taco chain has an app specifically geared toward loyalty; it also shows the chain’s menu, though ordering is not available.

Pleasing design: 3
Ease of navigation: 4
User-friendly: 3.5

The features: While the testers enjoyed the in-app game that offered up free prizes for playing (namely, burritos), this is not an app they said they would download. The main reason: It shows the menu, but it doesn’t allow for online ordering or pay-ahead convenience. 

While users agreed this is a loyalty-driven app they’d definitely use if they were regular Moe’s customers, it is pretty basic in terms of its features. That is, except for the delivery via Grubhub that’s built into the app.

Pleasing design: 4
Ease of navigation: 5
User-friendly: 4.5

The features: “I think it’s simple and gets the job done,” said one tester. She noted the successful use of dropdown menus and tabs for easy navigation. Testers also appreciated that the in-app experience started with a quick tutorial. The one complaint: The nutrition information is separate from the menu, so users have to go to a different screen for the details on what they’re ordering. 

This ordering app includes loyalty as well as links to all of its social media pages. It also offers payment through a third-party supplier, which is called out when the payment screen pops up.

Pleasing design: 2.5
Ease of navigation: 3.5
User-friendly: 3.5

The features: The first thing to pop up in the app is a QR code, though it doesn’t explain what the code is for or how to use it. As Tropical Smoothie is positioned as a healthier chain, testers would also have appreciated if nutritional information was provided in the app. 

The ordering app, which includes loyalty features, allows for easy payment on custom orders. It has an Facebook-style in-app platform dubbed the “Social Hub.”

Pleasing design: 3
Ease of navigation: 3.5
User-friendly: 3

The features: “It really needs a back button. And nutritional information,” said one tester. Another agreed that nutrition would be helpful, and while digging, she stumbled on an allergen table with icons for each menu item—though this was buried deep within the app. The testers agreed that the ordering feature is easy to use, and enjoyed the ability to customize meals within the app. 

Rita’s rewards app has four basic features: rewards, social, find a Rita’s and refer a friend. In essence, the app functions as a digital punch card with extra connectivity features.

Pleasing design: 3
Ease of navigation: 3
User-friendly: 2.5

The features: While there is a lot of tech support, there’s not much tech to support, said one tester. The app doesn’t have the menu, and it directs users to its website for allergen and nutritional information, but doesn’t provide a clickable link.

Instead of just listing the menu, the app had photos for almost all menu items. Users can also pay via the app, creating and saving a four-digit PIN code to access payment. Similarly, users can easily register via Facebook and create the PIN from there.

Pleasing design: 3.5
Ease of navigation: 2
User-friendly: 2

The features: The biggest thing missing from this app? Clarity. “It’s tough to find the help menu, and a lot of features are hidden,” said one tester. One user also had to pay $0.01 to “preauthorize Cheesecake Factory” in order to view check-in or to-go functions without any explanation. “A pop-up message could have gone a long way here,” she said. The app also used jargon such as CakePay, but it was only in reading the FAQ (accessible via the hamburger menu) that the meaning became clear. 

Wetzel’s offers a loyalty app that rewards frequent guests; users can send digital gift cards and refer friends to the loyalty program, though ordering is not available in the app.

Pleasing design: 4
Ease of navigation: 4
User-friendly: 3.5

The features: It’s basically just a loyalty app, without ordering options or menu information. While navigation was simple and the FAQ section was helpful to our testers, without the option to order, it isn’t all that useful.

It may only have loyalty—not ordering—but the Church’s app goes beyond the basic rewards. The app is designed for social, with in-app photo filters and a Church’s Chicken radio with streaming music.

Pleasing design: 3
Ease of navigation: 3.5
User-friendly: 3.5

The features: While testers agreed that the app was a lot of fun and enjoyed the “silly” photo filters, they didn’t find the app incredibly useful. Without ordering or payment, the testers said they were not likely to use the app. One feature they enjoyed: the feedback survey. 

As the hot dog chain expands beyond its Chicagoland roots, it has also expanded its mobile footprint with an app launched in August. Users can order and pay in advance, as well as see location-specific deals.

Pleasing design: 4
Ease of navigation: 4
User-friendly: 4

The features: Our testers liked how simple this app was to use. For those unfamiliar with an Italian beef or Maxwell, the app includes photos for each menu item. It also stores recent and favorite orders to ease future visits. 

Like others in the coffee-cafe space, Dunkin’s order and payment app includes gift card maintenance as well as an in-depth menu from which mobile guests can purchase food and drinks in advance. The male tester also thought there was too much pink, though our female testers didn’t seem to mind.

Pleasing design: 3
Ease of navigation: 3
User-friendly: 3.5

The features: Our users found ordering convenient—as easy as two clicks to get to the On The Go ordering—though the menu itself listed too much information and may benefit from being simplified. All three testers also wanted a simpler navigation; it was not necessarily intuitive that users had to swipe right to navigate, and it didn’t have a back button, so users had to go all the way to the home screen instead of following a breadcrumb trail to the previous screen. 

The chain ran its Chiptopia frequency-driven loyalty program this summer, but there’s no mention of loyalty anywhere in the app. It’s clearly an order-and-payment-only app, and includes allergen and nutritional information, as well as a disclaimer if a specific location does not meet Chipotle’s food standards.

Pleasing design: 3.5
Ease of navigation: 3.5
User-friendly: 4

The features: Because it’s a feature most chain restaurant apps have today, the lack of loyalty was very obvious to our testers. It is, however, very easy to order and customize meals, as well as find information on ingredient sourcing and nutrition. Testers also appreciated the help button to answer app-related questions, and they thought the food photography was very appealing, unlike some other apps on the market. 

Mooyah’s app allows users to order and earn points, as well as find locations, invite friends and view their account history. It also features an inbox that houses current offers and special promotions.

Pleasing design: 4
Ease of navigation: 3.5
User-friendly: 4

The features: The app has great instructions, according to a tester; it walks users through all of the functions before they initially log in. Testers were split on whether the inbox was useful or excessive, though they enjoyed that offers were housed in the app for when it came time to order. Ordering itself was simple to navigate, they found, and it was easy to add and subtract items to customize meals. 

The ice cream chain’s loyalty and payment app added the option to send a gift and purchase gift cards within the app.

Pleasing design: 4
Ease of navigation: 3.5
User-friendly: 4

The features: One tester enjoyed the cute, fun colors and fonts, while another thought a more streamlined navigation on the homepage could make for a less confusing app. One feature that was unanimously enjoyed: the many deals, including the option to text offers. 

LYFE’s app offers the option to order and pay for meals ahead—and earn one rewards point for every dollar spent. At the end of September, the chain also added delivery options for select locations.

Pleasing design: 4
Ease of navigation: 4
User-friendly: 4.5

The features: The app allows users to earn loyalty points in a range of different ways, including for signing in with Facebook, for referring friends and for spending with the chain. One tester liked that she got a free item just for signing up for the program. Easing the ordering process, testers also enjoyed that the app stored recent orders as well as favorites. 

Unlike many all-inclusive apps, Quiznos Toasty Points app only offers loyalty, not ordering. Because of that, it features deals—as well as how to earn and redeem them—but doesn’t even list the menu.

Pleasing design: 4.5
Ease of navigation: 5
User-friendly: 4

The features: Testers agreed that the app is very simple and easy to navigate, but it has very few features, adding that it would be more useful (thus more likely to be used) if it had an ordering function. They did like the easy-to-redeem QR code coupons, as well as the maps with directions to the nearest location.

The ordering app has features such as the ability to send digital gift cards, earn and maintain loyalty and see calories at first glance, with the option to click through for more detailed nutritional information.

Pleasing design: 4.5
Ease of navigation: 3
User-friendly: 3.5

The features: While the app itself had convenient features, the navigation was a little clunky, said the testers. How to order wasn’t intuitively clear (users have to find a location to order, but the location feature is hard to use, said one tester). One interesting addition not commonly seen: the screen’s brightness automatically increases when a user opens a QR code, making it much easier to scan.