*This is content sponsored by Omnivore.
Omnivore is alleviating the headache of testing and implementing restaurant software by opening access to its core API.
CEO Dan Singer said, “the updated application programming interface (API), available through the Omnivore Connect program, makes it easier for restaurant operators to identify top-quality tools and make sure they work just right.”
“It really puts the restaurant operator in the driver’s seat. They’re not held hostage by one tech provider. They’re not told, ‘Hey, you can’t do something because we don’t support it,’” said Singer. “It’s the best-of-breed approach to every situation that they’re facing.”
As many restaurant operators know, the worst part of a technology update is the arduous process of selecting and connecting products with restaurant systems and then finding out it’s not the right solution. The number of hours wasted on the wrong solution or the number of restaurants that opt to just deal with the wrong software is incalculable.
According to Singer, for the more than 22,000 restaurant locations on the system, it’s about as easy as the app store on your phone.
“For example, a restaurant wants a pay-at-table app to enhance the customer experience and ease some of their labor issues. Through Omnivore Connect, there are five or ten applications that already work with their POS system. They can choose one app to test and, when ready, deploy it at scale, overnight,” said Singer. “And if they’re not sure, they can use Omnivore Connect to test three or four apps by running a trial to test different apps at a few restaurant locations to help compare results, narrow down the options, and eventually choose one app to deploy to all locations.”
sunday, a QR code-based payment app, is one of the more than 200 apps that have been connected to the platform for years. U.S. CEO Christine de Wendel said being part of the Connect Marketplace moves things along quickly.
“Omnivore is key for sunday to deploy our new app in a way that restaurants trust to seamlessly integrate with their existing POS system,” said de Wendel. “This seamless integration helps restaurants quickly install and vet our app, then roll it out to all their locations and concepts overnight.”
Overnight isn’t just a euphemism; operators can close for the night and re-open in the morning with a new tool. The bottleneck for platform users isn’t the software anymore.
“What our customers tell us is they can shorten the test-and-pilot phase from months to days or weeks, and when they’re ready, they can launch overnight. That’s the power of Omnivore Connect,” said Singer. “The connection to your POS already exists, and all these applications are a part of the ecosystem. It removes that whole headache of finding an app that is integrated with your POS.”
That is especially important in today’s restaurant industry. Not long ago, operators just dealt with the software and had to make it work. The digital transformation that has been building, especially since 2013 when Omnivore was founded, kicked into high gear last year. Making mediocre software work means leaving sales on the table or risking poor customer experiences via the dominant channel—neither work in 2021.
“Most operators want the best of every restaurant tech vertical. They’re not looking for one provider to solve all those issues because it’s hard to be great at everything,” said Singer.
He said it’s also easier for app developers to plug into restaurants using the Omnivore Connect program. They can speed up their go-to-market process via Omnivore’s API instead of attempting to figure out how to connect to every POS provider or platform. It’s something very typical in e-commerce, but it’s a significant change for the restaurant space.
Singer said there are other perks to the Connect program as well. The company’s popular menu-management tool is now free for most features, and the expanded API makes it easier for enterprise brands to build their own tools to plug into the system. In all, the updates help speed up the digital transformation that Omnivore has been working on for years.
“Omnivore is built on our core API that is the global standard for restaurant technology. We’ve been a trusted partner for app developers, POS providers, and restaurant operators for years,” said Singer. “Our new Connect program brings even more freedom and flexibility.”
For more information on Ominvore Connect, click here.
