Today in Food Commerce: Restaurants Lean on Digital Loyalty; DoorDash Reaches Record-High 25M Users

Today in food commerce, PYMNTS research reveals key strategies for today’s restaurants, and DoorDash reports strong sales in the face of ongoing losses. Plus, Tim Hortons executives discuss the brand’s loyalty strategy in an interview with PYMNTS.

New Data Show Digital Loyalty Programs Are Key Differentiator for Top-Performing Restaurants

The 2022 Restaurant Friction Index, a PYMNTS and Paytronix collaboration, provides an insiders’ look at the state of the restaurant business in 2022. We surveyed a census-balanced panel of 2,146 U.S. consumers about their restaurant ordering habits and 501 restaurant managers to find out how well restaurants are delivering on their customers’ increasing demand for smoother, faster and more integrated cross-channel ordering experiences.

With Record-High 25M Active Users, DoorDash Eyes International Expansion

Even with mobility much higher than it was throughout 2020, consumers continue to have their meals delivered more and more often, according to DoorDash’s record-breaking fourth quarter.

Tim Hortons: Loyalty Programs Will Enable Customer Communication ‘Outside of the Restaurant Transaction’

Ernest Choi, senior director of digital and loyalty sales at Tim Hortons Canada, and Allison Matheson, who occupies the same position at Tim Hortons U.S., discussed in an interview with PYMNTS the ways the Tims Rewards program contributes to the digital and omnichannel growth of the brand.

Amid Rising Food Costs, Startups Monetize Would-Be Waste

In even the best of times, food waste is a huge problem for restaurants and grocery stores’ bottom lines. With inflation sending food prices skyrocketing, the issue is even more pressing than usual. Noting this challenge, a handful of startups are stepping in with solutions for businesses to drive revenue from would-be food waste.