Some 1,500 fast food restaurants in the region are set to leverage their franchiser’s investments in payment gateways and SaaS solutions.
In the Asia Pacific region, quick service restaurant brands such as Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes are owned by Restaurant Brands International Inc (RBI).
The firm continually supports local franchisee operations and expansion in the Asia Pacific market, and the two years of pandemic challenges have spelt the need for accelerating digital transformation to meet the continually changing needs of customers and franchisees.
Recently, RBI entered into a technology partnership to implement a range of digital solutions, including a “mini program” Software-as-a-Service solution and a suite of global cross-border mobile payments and marketing solutions. The collaboration aims to enable a more convenient and seamless omni-channel experience for F&B customers and also to uplift operational efficiency.
The enhanced system will be implemented across eight selected markets in Asia Pacific, and 1,500 restaurants across all three RBI brands.
What the digitalization entails
According to Ekrem Ozer, President (APAC), Restaurant Brands International, the new functionalities supports RBI’s mission to make ordering and dining as easy as possible for customers, while leveraging more convenient payment services and personalized experiences. “Franchisees across Asia will soon be able to benefit from the advantages of digitization across operations and the mini programs’ integration into other digital platforms.”
Under the collaboration with Ant Group, each of RBI’s brands (Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeyes), will have ‘mini SaaS programs” developed and adapted for franchisees in each local market. The franchisees will be able to digitally integrate online and offline operations to drive increased efficiency and gain deeper operational insights.
At the same time, diners will have access to expanded services, such as contactless menus and payments; online ordering for pickup or delivery; scan-and-order function in store, etc. Furthermore, the mini programs will also incorporate each RBI brand’s existing loyalty program and provide additional digital marketing capabilities such as distribution of digital vouchers.
To help RBI’s local restaurants to reach more local diners, the mini programs will be integrated into other local and regional digital platforms, including leading regional F&B tech startup Chope, and e-wallets in South-east Asia, among other initiatives.
Finally, the RBI system adds access to the Alipay+ system in-store, on websites, apps, and via the mini programs, to support payment options such as the Touch ‘n Go e-wallet in Malaysia, True Money wallet in Thailand, GCash in the Philippines, Kakao Pay in South Korea, and other systems in future.
Said Angel Zhao, President, International Business Group, Ant Group: “Leveraging digital payments and marketing innovations is critical for industries like food and beverage to provide contactless services, boost operational efficiency, and adapt to the fast-changing market conditions.”
