At Buona, off-prem dining isn’t just a side channel.
In its 40th year, the Chicago-based Italian beef brand, a 2026 Food On Demand Outstanding Operator, sees about 78 percent of orders coming from beyond its restaurants walls.
“We’re not trying to solve off-premise, we’re embracing it,” said Steve Felson, senior vice president of franchising at Buona.
That mindset, paired with a willingness to reengineer systems, menus, and packaging, is helping the brand thrive in the sector.
“In this day and age, people want convenience, they want speed, and they want the same quality they get sitting down in our restaurant as they do on their couch,” Felson said.
Nearly every location, with the exception of two legacy sites, includes a drive-thru fully integrated with loyalty and rewards.
“We do all of our products through our drive-thru,” Felson said. “We provide a great ordering experience where you can use your loyalty points and your rewards, just like you would in store.”
Even in-store kiosk ordering is part of the off-prem approach.
The brand partners with major third-party delivery platforms while also supporting white-label first-party delivery.
“We want to make sure that we take care of that guest from end to end,” Felson said.
Restaurants also have dedicated to-go areas for pickup orders and smooth delivery driver hand-off.
Buona restaurants have dedicated online order and pickup corners.
Buona maintains a hands-on approach with delivery partners, meeting monthly to review performance and address issues.
“When there is a hiccup, whether it’s on our end or their end, the goal is not to decide who’s to blame,” Felson said. “The goal is: How does everybody win, with the guest winning first?”
Operational precision supports all channels. The team utilizes technology to track when orders are coming and how to communicate with guests to protect food quality and timing.
“In store, it’s much clearer for the staff on what’s ordered, when people are coming, and how to contact them,” Felson said.
On menu innovation, one example is french fries.
“We loved our current french fry,” Felson said. “It was tasty, it just didn’t travel well.”
Buona replaced it with a product engineered for hold time and delivery performance.
“How do we take this great product and make it a great product 30 minutes from now when it arrives at someone’s door?” Felson said on the thought process.
This approach helps guide decisions around packaging, sandwich construction, salad builds, and catering execution.
In 2025, the brand overhauled its entire catering software.
“To make it easier for the guest to order, easier for us to contact them, and, more importantly, easier for us to own the guest experience from start to finish,” Felson said of last year’s software revamp.
Buona is also leaning into personalization rather than blanket discounting.
“Really, it’s personalization,” Felson said. “We’ve really stepped up our app, but not just as an ordering platform. It’s (about): How do we get to know you and what you like? It’s not always discounts, sometimes it’s just a message.”
“It’s very easy to say, ‘We figured this out,’” he added. “But we have to stay on the pulse of what guests really want.”
Lessons from an iconic ice cream brand
While Buona is a 2026 Outstanding Operator, learnings from The Original Rainbow Cone helped shape its strategies as well, under Felson’s leadership.
“In the Rainbow Cone brand, we do a lot off-premise,” Felson said. “Ice cream isn’t just sitting in the shop; it’s going somewhere else.”
Rainbow Cone introduced insulated take-home bags, cupholder-friendly sundae packaging, and safer ways for guests to transport multiple cones. Even ice cream temperature and handling were adjusted.
“Sometimes that includes: How cold do we keep the ice cream in the shop so it doesn’t melt on the way home?” Felson said.
“Guests want to bring a treat home and be the hero,” he said. “If that’s melted or they had a hard time getting it home, they’re not that hero anymore, and we don’t win.”
The lesson translates directly back to Buona. Off-prem success isn’t about adding channels. It’s about engineering for how guests actually live.
