Systems and methods for take-out order analytics

• US 10,083,455 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2015
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• 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:
  US14/822,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20150348064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 705 15
• 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 for take-out order management and sharing, the system comprising:

at least one hardware processor;

at least one executable software module that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, is configured to;

communicate with point-of-sale (POS) systems of a plurality of different restaurants;

generate a menu for a selected one of the plurality of different restaurants based on a type of a device of a first user;

receive a group order for one of the plurality of different restaurants from the device of a first user, the group order including a first selection of a first item listed in the menu;

retrieve contact information for at least some of a plurality of contacts associated with the first user;

receive an indication from the first user to include a second user in the group order, the second user being identified in the plurality of contacts;

send an invitation to a device of the second user to join the group order;

generate an interactive menu for the selected one of the plurality of different restaurants for display on the device of the second user, the interactive menu displaying menu items based on the first selection;

receive, from the device of the second user, a second selection of at least one menu item;

add the menu item selected by the second user to the group order; and

transmit the group take-out order to a POS system of the one of the plurality of different restaurants.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication from the first user includes an identification of the second user to join the group order.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the identification of the second user comprises an email address associated with the second user, and wherein the executable software module is configured to send an email including the invitation to the email address associated with the second user.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the identification of the second user comprises a selection from a plurality of contacts associated with the first user.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the executable software module is configured to retrieve contact information for at least some of the plurality of contacts associated with the first user from at least one social networking site.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable software module is configured to transmit the invitation to the second user via one or more social networking sites.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the invitation comprises a link to a user interface for joining the group order.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable software module is further configured to:

receive information associated with at least one of the first user and the second user from one or more social networking sites; and

determine, based at least in part on the information received from the one or more social networking sites, at least one of an up-sell option and a promotional offer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the executable software module is further configured to provide the at least one of the up-sell option and promotional offer to the second user during order entry.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein in response to an indication from the second user accepting the invitation to join the group order, the executable software module is further configured to:

generate an interactive menu including the at least one of the up-sell option and promotional offer; and

provide the interactive menu to the device of the second user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable software module is further configured to share information associated with the group order via one or more social networking sites.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable software module is further configured to receive, from the device of the first user, at least one of the following:

a dollar limit for a total dollar amount of the group order, and dollar limit for a total dollar amount of a portion of the group order associated with the second user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the executable software module is further configured to determine whether a price of the at least one menu item selected by the second user exceeds one or more dollar limits.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the executable software module is configured to determine that the price of the at least one menu item selected by the second user does not exceed one or more dollar limits prior to adding the menu item selected by the second user to the group order.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable software module is further configured to receive, from the device of the first user, a payment distribution.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the payment distribution comprises charging a total dollar amount of the group order to one of the first user and the second user.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the payment distribution comprises charging an amount to each of the first user and the second user based at least in part on a price of a respective selection of menu items made by each of the first user and the second user.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable software module is further configured to receive, from the device of the first user, a cut-off time for at least one of the following:

the second user to join the group order, and the second user to amend the group order.

19. A method for take-out order management and sharing, comprising using at least one hardware processor to perform operations comprising:

communicating with point-of-sale (POS) systems of a plurality of different restaurants;

generating a menu for a selected one of the plurality of different restaurants based on a type of a device of a first user;

receiving a group order for one of the plurality of different restaurants from the device of a first user;

retrieving contact information for at least some of a plurality of contacts associated with the first user;

receiving an indication from the first user to include a second user in the group order, the group order including a first selection of a first item listed in the menu, the second user being identified in the plurality of contacts;

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

generating an interactive menu for the selected one of the plurality of different restaurants for display on the device of the second user, the interactive menu displaying menu items based on the first selection;

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

adding the menu item selected by the second user to the group order; and

transmitting the group order to a POS system of the one of the plurality of different restaurants.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the indication from the first user includes an identification of the second user to join the group order.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the identification of the second user comprises an email address associated with the second user, and wherein the executable software module is configured to send an email including the invitation to the email address associated with the second user.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the identification of the second user comprises a selection from a plurality of contacts associated with the first user.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising retrieving contact information for at least some of the plurality of contacts associated with the first user from at least one social networking site.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising transmitting the invitation to the second user via one or more social networking sites.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the invitation comprises a link to a user interface for joining the group order.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving information associated with at least one of the first user and the second user from one or more social networking sites; and

determining, based at least in part on the information received from the one or more social networking sites, at least one of an up-sell option and a promotional offer.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising providing the at least one of the up-sell option and promotional offer to the second user during order entry.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising:

in response to an indication from the second user accepting the invitation to join the group order, generating an interactive menu including the at least one of the up-sell option and promotional offer; and

providing the interactive menu to the device of the second user.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising sharing information associated with the group order via one or more social networking sites.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising receiving, from the device of the first user, at least one of the following:

a dollar limit for a total dollar amount of the group order, and dollar limit for a total dollar amount of a portion of the group order associated with the second user.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising determining whether a price of the at least one menu item selected by the second user exceeds one or more dollar limits.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising determining that the price of the at least one menu item selected by the second user does not exceed one or more dollar limits prior to adding the menu item selected by the second user to the group order.

33. The method of claim 19, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising receiving, from the device of the first user, a payment distribution.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the payment distribution comprises charging a total dollar amount of the group order to one of the first user and the second user.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the payment distribution comprises charging an amount to each of the first user and the second user based at least in part on a price of a respective selection of menu items made by each of the first user and the second user.

36. The method of claim 19, further comprising using the hardware processor to perform operations comprising receiving, from the device of the first user, a cut-off time for at least one of the following:

the second user to join the group order, and the second user to amend the group order.