Systems and methods for take-out order analytics

• US 9,105,041 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RRT Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Restaurant Revolution Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Harman, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US13/749,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 705/15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Systems and methods for take-out order management and analysis. In an embodiment, for each of a plurality of restaurants, an interactive menu associated with the restaurant is provided to a plurality of users, a plurality of orders are received from the plurality of users, and the plurality of orders are sent to the restaurant. Order information related to the plurality of orders and the plurality of users is stored in at least one database, and analyzed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one hardware processor;

at least one application interface to one or more social networking sites; and

at least one executable software module that, when executed by the hardware processor, performs operations comprising;

importing menu data over at least one network from a point-of-sale (POS) system of a first restaurant, wherein the menu data includes data for a first menu item and a second menu item;

receiving, from a device of a first user, a first order including a selection of one of the first menu item and the second menu item;

using the application interface to receive information related to at least one of the first user and a second user from one or more social networking websites;

generating an interactive menu displaying the first menu item and the second menu item according to a relative position that is determined based at least in part on the selection of the one of the first menu item and second menu item included in the first order, and information related to at least one of the first user and the second user from one or more social networking websites;

providing the interactive menu to a device of the second user; and

transmitting a second order received from the device of the second user to the POS system of the first restaurant.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable software module is further performs operations comprising:

generating one or more metrics based on at least a portion of information related to the first user, the first order, and the second user, wherein the relative position of the first menu item and the second menu item in the interactive menu is further determined based on at least one metric.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a most ordered menu item.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a most popular one of the plurality of restaurants.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a rating of one or more of the plurality of restaurants.

16. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a rating of one or more menu items.

17. The system of claim 2, further comprising providing a recommendation to one or more of the plurality of users based on the one or more metrics.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein first order and the second order comprise a group order, and wherein the at least one executable software module further performs operations comprising:

receiving, from the device of the first user, the selection of the first menu item comprising the first order;

adding the first menu item comprising the first order to the group order;

sending an invitation to the device of the second user for the second user to join the group order;

receiving, from the device of the second user, a selection of at least one of the first menu item and the second menu item comprising the second order; and

amending the group order to include both the first menu item comprising the first order from the first user and the at least one of the first menu item and the second menu item comprising the second order from the second user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the executable software module further performs operations comprising receiving contact information for at least one of the first user and the second user from the one or more social networking sites.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable software module further performs operations comprising automatically and periodically importing menu data from the first restaurant.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the second user is associated with the first user via at least some of the one or more social networking sites.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the first order includes a selection of one of the first menu item and the second menu item but not a selection of the other of the first menu item and the second menu item.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the relative position of the first menu item and the second menu item in the interactive menu comprises displaying the first menu item ahead of, in front of, or on top of the second menu item in the interactive menu.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable software module further performs operations comprising transmitting the first order to the POS system of the first restaurant.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the information related to at least one of the first user and the second user from the one or more social networking websites includes one or more of the following:

an association between the first user and the second user, an association between the first restaurant and the first user, and an association between the first restaurant and the second user.

3. A method, comprising performing by at least one hardware processor:

importing menu data over at least one network from a point-of-sale (POS) system of a first restaurant, wherein the menu data includes data for a first menu item and a second menu item;

receiving, from a device of a first user, a first order including a selection of the first menu item;

using an application interface to receive information related to at least one of the first user and a second user from one or more social network sites;

analyzing at least a portion of information related to the first order, the first user, and the second user;

generating an interactive menu displaying the first menu item and the second menu item according to a relative position that is determined based at least in part on the selection of the one of the first menu item and second menu item included in the first order, and information related to at least one of the first user and the second user from one or more social networking websites;

providing the interactive menu to a device of the second user; and

transmitting a second order received from the device of the second user to the POS system of the first restaurant.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating one or more metrics based on at least a portion of the information related to the first user, the first order, and the second user, wherein the relative position of the first menu item and the second menu item in the interactive menu is further determined based on at least one metric.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a most ordered menu item.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a most popular one of the plurality of restaurants.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a rating of one or more of the plurality of restaurants.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more metrics comprise a rating of one or more menu items.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing a recommendation to one or more of the plurality of users based on the one or more metrics.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the first order and the second order comprise a group order, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the device of the first user, the selection of the first menu item comprising the first order;

adding the first menu item comprising the first order to the group order;

sending an invitation to the device of the second user for the second user to join the group order;

receiving, from the device of the second user, a selection of at least one of the first menu item and the second menu item comprising the second order; and

amending the group order to include both the first menu item comprising the first order from the first user and the at least one of the first menu item and the second menu item comprising the second order from the second user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving contact information for at least one of the first user and the second user from the one or more social networking sites.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a cut-off time for the group order; and

preventing amendments to the group order after the cut-off time.

21. The method of claim 3, further comprising automatically and periodically importing menu data from the first restaurant.

26. The method of claim 3, wherein the second user is associated with the first user via at least some of the one or more social networking sites.

27. The method of claim 3, wherein first order includes a selection of one of the first menu item and the second menu item but not a selection of the other of the first menu item and the second menu item.

28. The method of claim 3, wherein the relative position of the first menu item and the second menu item in the interactive menu comprises displaying the first menu item ahead of, in front of, or on top of the second menu item in the interactive menu.

29. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting the first order to the POS system of the first restaurant.

31. The method of claim 3, wherein the information related to at least one of the first user and the second user from the one or more social networking websites includes one or more of the following:

an association between the first user and the second user, an association between the first restaurant and the first user, and an association between the first restaurant and the second user.