Exit41 First to Make Food Ordering Social for Major Restaurant Brands

ANDOVER, Mass., Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Exit41, the leading provider of social ordering solutions for the restaurant industry, today announced several major restaurant chains leveraging the company's latest product innovation, which includes a Facebook application allowing consumers to place food orders from the restaurant's Facebook page and share and "Like" their favorite menu items within their social network.  Exit41 is the first online ordering vendor to integrate social media into their web and mobile product strategy, connecting restaurants to the social web and enabling them to connect with consumers where they live, work and socialize.  

"Social media is one of our top initiatives and we are heavily investing in solutions that drive results," said Aric Nissen, VP marketing, Famous Dave's. "Not only did Exit41 meet all of our 'checkbox' feature/function requirements for web and mobile ordering, they were the only vendor to offer a complete social ordering solution. Their products will complement our own social media strategy perfectly and allow us to maximize investments in this area."

The Exit41 solution includes:

• Online Application: Optimized for social sharing with Facebook "Likes" of a menu item and a preview of other fans who also "Liked" that item. Facebook "Likes" are posted to the consumer's profile page and into their social stream, which feature a menu item picture and description along with a link back to the restaurant's site to order that item and additional suggested items.
• Facebook Application: An Online Ordering Tab is added to the restaurant's Facebook page where fans can begin the ordering process by adding featured items to their cart and seamlessly completing the order on the restaurant brand's online ordering site. Consumers can also "Share" the Online Ordering tab within their network for a viral marketing opportunity for the restaurant.
• Mobile Application: An iPhone app customized for the restaurant brand featuring location awareness to find the closest restaurant, as well as secure mobile payment, ensures speed, ease and convenience of ordering.

Since implementing Exit41's Facebook solution, Exit41 customers are experiencing positive results, including steady increases in sales and order volumes.  For example, Wow Bao, a Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant widely recognized throughout the industry for its innovative use of social media, saw a ten percent increase in online order volume within five weeks.  Silver Diner, a Maryland based casual dining chain featuring fresh and local diner fare, released their Facebook ordering application as an important part of a push to grow their Facebook fan base to 6,000 in just a few weeks, and has since experienced a seven percent increase in online order volume.

"The restaurant industry is ahead of the curve in embracing social media to engage with and interact with consumers.  Our goal is to support marketing in enhancing their Facebook initiatives with the ability to drive sales and guest loyalty," said Joseph Gagnon, chief executive officer, Exit41. "What we do is enable the restaurant with our 'Link, Like, Eat' strategy so they can unlock the full power of Facebook and social media.  We have seen that this results in a new level of consumer understanding because they now know what their guests 'like', what they buy, and how they influence others in their social network."

Additional Exit41 customers ranging from BRAVO! Cucina Italiana, a BRAVO|BRIO Restaurant Group concept to Hello Pasta, a New York City based chain serving fresh and organic pasta to-go, are just getting rolled out with the solution and are looking forward to the impact it will have on their customer base.

As part of the company's strategy for fully integrating restaurants with the social web, Exit41 has aggressive plans to expand functionality to instantly recognize and reward loyal customers. The company is also pursuing partnerships with several social media marketing, mobile couponing and social location companies to further enhance their offering and create highly personalized ordering experiences for consumers.

About Exit41  

Exit41's Software as a Service (SaaS) social ordering solutions have processed over twenty million food orders for consumers on behalf of leading restaurant brands across the globe including Qdoba Mexican Grill, la Madeleine, Ruby Tuesday, Cara Operations, Americana Group and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.  Exit41's web and mobile applications enable restaurants to connect with, recognize and reward their customers and build loyal, profitable relationships.  Founded in 1999, Exit41 is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, and is backed by tier one investors including GrandBanks Capital and Dace Ventures.  For more information visit our web site www.exit41.com, follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook.  

SOURCE Exit41