When to-go orders were only a small percentage of Waffle House’s sales, restaurants took these orders over the phone or in-person. However, as guest preferences evolved, Waffle House needed a system built to scale. Walk-in guests took up parking spots and space inside the restaurant while waiting for food, and phone orders could overwhelm busy servers and kitchens.
When the brand decided to add online ordering, the purpose was to optimize the experience of to-go orders rather than increase the quantity — Waffle House’s main focus remained on the dine-in guest while continuing to serve the portion of their customer base that preferred their meal to-go. The brand’s technology executive was familiar with Olo and its throttling capabilities which allowed the brand to control the flow of to-go orders and not interfere with dine-in guest experience. This solution fit Waffle House’s goals perfectly, so the brand ditched the phones and rolled out Olo to all locations in 2023.
Waffle House wanted to ensure that those ordering online got the same warm service as those ordering in the restaurant, and guests could easily create their custom orders. Olo worked with Waffle House to make the ordering experience increasingly more personalized for online orders, with each iteration boosting order value.
Waffle House rolled out personalized recommendations with Smart Cross-Sells, Local Favorites, For You, and Recent Items. With Smart Cross-Sells, when a guest selected an item, Serve (Olo’s white-label online ordering solution) would suggest a complementary item they could add on—which led to a 4% increase in overall item adds. Local Favorites showcased the most popular items at a particular location and For You offered personalized recommendations driven by machine learning and guests’ previous behavior.
Recent Items provided an easy way for guests to reorder their favorite items. This led to a 2.4% increase in order conversion, indicating high user satisfaction with the recommendations. And with
Olo Accounts, Waffle House removed login friction across devices, making it easier for guests to return and complete their orders—while unlocking better data to power smarter, more relevant recommendations.
Today, 36% of Waffle House’s online revenue comes from these personalized recommendations. Personalized recommendations within online ordering provide a better experience for guests, make it easier to order their favorites, provide guidance to new visitors, and deliver a brand-aligned, guest-centric experience—even online.
