Food notes: Download MealTicket 2.0
Boise, ID (Idaho Statesman) July 22, 2011
Dan Henderson and his team at DB3 Mobile, a Boise-based company that develops phone apps, have been hard at work on the next generation of their restaurant app Meal Ticket for the iPhone and Android.
It started last year as a coupon/discount app in the vein of Groupon and Living Social, but it’s not any more, Henderson says. Instead of just offering deals, it now is a way for restaurateurs to communicate directly with their loyal customers.
Restaurants get 75 percent of their sales from regulars. If they can get them to come in one more time a month, that’s a significant increase, Henderson says.
Once you designate a restaurant a “favorite,” owners can communicate directly with you, sending news of daily specials, entertainment, or offers of incentives such as discounts and freebies.
“We’ve coached our restaurants about not spamming,” Henderson says. The messages run through the app so they’re not going to show up in your SMS or MMS text features.
You can select “I Want” and put in a special request outside of normal offerings. You’ll get offers from places that will be willing to accommodate. If you bring in new customers, you’ll earn rewards points that can get you free stuff.
The shift in the app’s approach happened because Henderson and his partners, Brian Konrath and Steve Baggerly, have been developing the app at TechStars, an incubator for start-up companies in Boulder, Colo.
DB3 Mobile is partnering with Tri-City Meats in Meridian, which offers the service to their customers.
“It’s a great way for us to offer a social media tool to our clients that is specifically for restaurants,” said Sam Watson, director of marketing for Tri-City.
Some of the 180 Treasure Valley restaurants on MealTicket are Chandlers Steakhouse, Cafe Vicino, Harry’s of Hyde Park, 13th Street Pub and Grill, Highlands Hollow, Tavern at Bown Crossing, Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro and the Boise Co-op. It also has Sun Valley restaurants, there are plans to go international. Online: GetMealTicket.com