Casual dining chain Not Your Average Joe’s is enabling customers to reorder items on their bills, split checks evenly among themselves and tip their servers via its new mobile application, showcasing the different digital options restaurateurs must provide their clientele.

The East Coast-based brand is leveraging MyCheck’s mobile payment technology to power the new app, which aims to offer consumers more convenience during their in-store experiences. Other restaurant companies are likely to follow in Not Your Average Joe’s footsteps by implementing bill-splitting and paying options into their mobile apps, thereby relieving stress for servers and consumers dining with large parties.

“Consumers that use in-app payment methods for shopping and dining are growing at a rapid rate, and considering the percentage of mobile users, dining chains are smart to cater to this ever-increasing demographic,” said Marci Troutman, CEO of Siteminis. “Allowing customers to pay, split checks, and re-order items via their phone through an app not only speeds up turns in a dining room, but also allows less stress among staff and servers to attend to other customer needs throughout the dining process.

“Dining chains, along with all retailers and brands, need to keep up with their consumers’ digital speed to ensure they are staying relevant.”

Giving consumers more autonomy
Digitally-savvy diners are increasingly expecting their favorite food marketers to adopt the latest mobile technologies and enhance the in-restaurant experience. Recent initiatives in this field have included Olive Garden and Chili’s decisions to introduce tablet devices on tabletops, from which consumers can place orders, play games while they wait for their meals and pay the check at their leisure.

Meanwhile, Outback Steakhouse has rolled out an app update that allows customers to place their names on a waiting list so that a table will be ready upon their arrival.

Not Your Average Joe’s is throwing its hat into the ring by teaming up with technology platform MyCheck to power the brand’s first mobile payment app. Once consumers download the app, they may view a live bill, split checks among multiple diners, collect rewards points and tip their server.

Items on the bill can also be reordered to ensure that each person pays the correct amount. This functionality is especially useful for consumers eating with large numbers of people, as they will not have to scramble to calculate how much each individual owes.

Additionally, guests can order meals to-go from the app, as well as make reservations.

Not Your Average Joe’s app is available for iOS and Android devices.

Plentiful payment choices
The East Coast chain’s app also lets users link multiple payment methods to their Not Your Average Joe’s accounts. Customers can pay their bills via debit or credit cards, gift cards, PayPal and Apple Pay.

Consequently, consumers can feel free to stop by for an impromptu lunch or dinner without worrying if they have enough cash with them.

MyCheck has been making strides in the mcommerce sector in the past year, opting to team up with a slew of other likeminded casual restaurant brands for enhanced guest convenience and additional digital platforms.

Over the summer, MyCheck was one of many businesses embracing Apple Pay in Britain, where the convenience of one-step checkout, thanks to the Touch ID button, is poised to overrule any consumer hesitation and present a challenge to local competitors (see story).

Twin Peaks, a sports-oriented casual dining chain, also recently moved into mobile payments and rewards with a MyCheck branded app that lets consumers split checks and access special offers only redeemable in the app (see story).

“Restaurants that implement this type of technology will not only experience higher customer traffic through their digital properties, but if implemented properly, will see a lift in loyalty customers that have downloaded their app,” Ms. Troutman said.

“Driving app downloads for in-house payments allows the restaurants to cater more specifically to their loyal customers through specials, deals and other offers that can show up as a notice on their customers’ phones.”