Pizza franchise Hungry Howie’s is encouraging customers to try its new multi-platform mobile ordering system with several promotions, including a free pizza when users make their first online order.

The system is accessible across the chain’s mobile application and Web site, tablet and desktop, allowing customers of all preferences to try it out. Pizza companies of all sizes are tapping mobile ordering to better the customer experience.

“Over the last 5 years, we have focused on expanding the technology solutions in our stores,” said Dan McKay, director of information technology at Hungry Howie’s. “Revention’s POS platform was one of the primary building blocks in this initiative and it’s playing a pivotal role in the advancement and growth of the Hungry Howie’s Pizza brand.

“We have been fortunate to enter into a close collaboration with Revention where both parties share a vision to simplify and improve the speed of the customer’s online ordering experience,” Mr. McKay said. “The combination of the Revention POS system and the new online ordering platform has streamlined Hungry Howie’s ability to develop new, strategic marketing campaigns and to measure those campaigns using customer response and redemption rates.”

On the backend
Hungry Howie’s has teamed with Revention to create the custom digital platform. Revention also redesigned the pizza chain’s mobile apps on iOS and Android.

More than 50 new interface options have been added to take the user experience to the next level. In fact, the Administrative Portal was upgraded to allow the brand to seek level configurations and utilities, as well as reporting options.

The mobile app allows users to create a profile and reference past orders and save credit card information for easy reordering.

Hungry Howie’s officially launched the new platform Dec. 29 with an integrated campaign offering a free pizza for first-time customers. Since the launch, the pizza franchise claims to have received positive customer feedback and increases in online orders.

Some of its stores have reported online ordering to have reached more than 40 percent of sales.

Hungry Howie’s was originally founded in 1973 and maintains nearly 600 locations in 21 U.S. states.

Quick response
Mobile ordering is effective for pizza restaurants. A food item that is completely customizable, it is becoming crucial for pizza chains to implement mobile ordering to better the customer experience.

Papa John’s, among other major franchises, including Domino’s, has seen enormous benefits in a short amount of time from the implementation of mobile ordering alongside seasonal promotions.

Papa John’s started 2015 strong with a buy one, get one free promotion for large pizzas accessible through the brand’s mobile ordering application, reflecting how marketers are increasingly viewing apps on a cost per engagement basis.

Consumers that selected any large pizza at regular menu price were able to receive a second large one-topping pizza for free, through Jan. 28. The pizza chain hoped to capitalize on National Football League playoff games this month and drive sales with fans hosting parties or get-togethers (see story).

Before the New Year, Papa John’s continued to be a force to reckon with in mobile ordering with its digital and mobile channels reaching a milestone to account for more than 50 percent of sales in the United States.

Papa John’s claimed to be the first brand in its industry to surpass the digital and mobile sales milestone. The company, which was the first U.S.-based pizza chain to introduce digital ordering to its delivery restaurants in 2001, continues to streamline the payment process by accepting Google Wallet Instant Buy for delivery and take-out orders placed via its Android mobile application (see story).

Hungry Howie’s expects its online ordering system to continue to grow in popularity.

“Revention’s development team worked tirelessly to meet our deadlines and the finished product is something of which we can both be proud,” Mr. McKay said. “We are very excited about some of the upcoming features that our customers will see.”

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York