Pizza and Mobile Phone Apps

Domino's Pizza in Britain has been in the news after reporting the chain saw more than $1.3 million in business from an iPhone ordering application launched just last September. Domino's utilized the company's Facebook and Twitter pages to promote its mobile ordering technology and has already reached nearly half a million downloads.

Domino's in the United States relies on mobile-device-optimized ordering pages accessible from Web-enabled smart phones or computers instead of dedicated mobile applications. In Britain, the iPhone application allows users to find the Domino's locations and choose from Domino's 75 million combinations of base, sauce and toppings. Customers can also track progress of their order in real-time pizza in both continents. Officials of Domino's master franchisee in the United Kingdom and Ireland said online ordering in the UK and Ireland grew 63 percent last year and online orders currently account for 35% of its delivery sales in the United Kingdom, the company said.

Segment leader Pizza Hut has been taking advantage of an iPhone ordering application since the summer of 2009. The Pizza Hut application allows customers in the United States to use their phones to locate nearby Pizza Hut stores and customize their order through a series of scrolling, tapping and shaking functions. The fact that the fun-to-use Pizza Hut application was downloaded over 100,000 times in the first two weeks it was offered demonstrated its popularity with customers.

Papa John's Pizza already had a successful mobile ordering website that was launched in 2008, but the company put out a new iPhone application at the end of last year that promised to deliver an even better digital experience for customers. Papa John's mobile ordering application provides a full menu and also includes discount offers and even access to the Papa Points Loyalty Program that further rewards returning customers. Papa John's online ordering loyalty program allows customers to earn one point for every $5 they spend online. When they reach 25 points, they win a free pizza with up to three toppings.

It looks like the mobile phone ordering applications have been very good for the big three franchises currently invested in it. With such good results, it will only be a matter of time before more brands and stores begin to rely on new phone ordering applications too.