Data for Dinner (And Breakfast. And Lunch)

Digital executives from Dine Brands Global Inc. and Bloomin’ Brands Inc. weighed in on the critical role of information technology in the restaurant industry at last month’s National Restaurant Innovation Summit in Dallas, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

“Technology in the restaurant industry in particular has an opportunity to drive the organization and consumer experience,” said Bloomin’ Brands’ senior VP of digital marketing Ramin Eivaz in the article. According to Eivaz, everything comes back to the consumer, and so selling more means prioritizing customer experience.

“The information officer’s job is to drive incremental sales and traffic, and, as a result, to improve profitability,” Eivaz said in the piece. “To do that, you have to understand your consumers.”

One way to do so is through curated marketing, according to the article. This means leveraging customer data for targeted content and a “one-to-one relationship,” Eivaz said in the article.

For large companies like Bloomin’ Brands and Dine Brands, franchisees need to be on board if long-standing IT platforms and practices are to be successful.

“For us, it’s engaging our franchise community early, educating them and ensuring that they are aware of all things that are going on in the marketplace,” Butler said.