Casual dining restaurant California Pizza Kitchen has retooled its CPK Pizza Dough Rewards Mobile App, which now offers mobile pay, ordering, past purchase history and a tip calculator.

Developed in partnership with Paytronix, the enhanced application also makes it easier to earn, track and apply rewards from CPK’s Pizza Dough Rewards loyalty program. The app is available on iOS and Android clients now.

“We announced the launch of our enhanced CPK Pizza Dough Rewards app to guests and existing loyalty members via multiple marketing elements, including an e-blast, on the CPK.com homepage as well as posts across our social media channels,” said Ashley Ceraolo, senior vice president of marketing and beverage, California Pizza Kitchen. “We also did a buy behind a really cool, interactive canvas ad on Facebook that visually walks our guests through core features of the app upgrade and connects them directly to the Apple or Android app stores.”

“In-restaurant, we’re encouraging app downloads via tablecard signage, check presenters and our team members sharing more about the pay by phone features. Our various marketing elements explore the convenience and control that the CPK Pizza Dough Rewards app offers our guests to enhance their dining experience with all-in-one features, from loyalty rewards to mobile pay to online ordering.”

Pizza Dough Rewards
The app features many of the offerings that restaurants in the fast casual sector — which has developed on mobile much quicker than its sit-down counterparts — have rolled out in their own apps. For example, the mobile ordering feature on California Pizza Kitchen’s app mirrors analogous features that have been well received on Starbucks and Chipotle’s apps.

Past purchase history is also another leaf taken out of the Starbucks playbook, which beat California Pizza Kitchen to the punch by a few days in implementing it into landmark update to its own app.

Paytronix has also helped in integrating tip calculator into the app, taking cues from innovations such as Apple’s integration of a variety of third-party app features into an iMessage update. By keeping a significant portion of the California Pizza Kitchen mobile experience within the app, and outside a calculator app that doesn’t have branded upselling opportunities at the swipe of a finger.

Pizza Dough Rewards members will also receive a free small plate at registration, earn $5 in Pizza Dough Rewards for every $100 spent, and receive a free birthday dessert during their birthday month. They will also receive exclusive offers and sneak peeks at menu items and promotions throughout the year.

Restaurant apps
Many restaurants have been coming out with dedicated apps to augment customer experience, but the development is not uncontested. Conspicuously left out of California Pizza Kitchen’s app is the ability to order in-restaurant, an easily-implemented feature that would take a significant chunk of time and tips from servers.

This may be why so much more innovation is occurring in the fast casual sector, which is not beholden to its employees in the same way. A recent update to Starbucks’ uber-popular application was one of the most significant ones in recent memory, including the long-awaited rollout of My Starbucks barista and a serious user experience revamp (see story).

However, more buttoned-up brands in the food industry are slowly making progress. Fishbowl, a mobile platform for restaurants to provide their customers with loyalty, coupon and ordering offers, recently integrated Android Pay into its platform (see story).

“We enhanced our CPK Pizza Dough Rewards app with our highly mobile guests in mind,” said Ms. Ceraolo. “We wanted to use the app as a platform for a seamless guest experience through messaging and technology, knowing that our guests predominantly interface with us through their mobile device.”

“With its all-in-one features, from mobile pay to tracking and applying loyalty rewards, placing online orders and more, the new app sets the stage for a fantastic omni-channel experience that complements and enhances our guests’ dining experience, and allows us to grow our loyalty guest users through these seamless interactive experiences.”

“The app also enhances our messaging capabilities with guests. When in proximity to a CPK location, guests will be able to receive relevant messaging about CPK, including featured seasonal menu items, promotions, available rewards and more.”