Many restaurants have a list of existing food clients who may have ordered offline or over the phone before implementing an online ordering system. The existing clients gave their phone numbers or e-mails to the restaurant to get notified about new ways of ordering, menu changes, special deals, closed for holidays notices, etc. 

However, not all restaurants have someone to carefully manage ongoing communication with such people, using a professional messaging system like Twilio, MailChimp, SendGrid, etc. So in many restaurants, this list of clients is rarely or never used, even when it is needed the most. 

With the help of the ordering system, restaurants can use their existing client database for an online food marketing strategy by importing contacts (emails and phone numbers) and inviting them to order online. 

The import feature resides in the Marketing Tools -> Kickstarter section -> Invite Prospects: 

The restaurant can choose between sending email or SMS invitations, like this:

Once a type of invitation is finished, however, the restaurant can always go back and choose to send the alternative type of invitation as well.

After the type of invitation is chosen, the restaurant will be able to:  

• edit the fields of the invitation such as Subject line, Body text, and Button text - for the email invitation. The field Promotion either takes the promotion that is available in the account automatically or they may choose another option from the dropdown;

• edit the body text of the invitation - for the SMS invitation. The field Promotion either takes the promotion that is available in the account automatically or may choose from the dropdown another option.

Email invitation edit:

SMS invitation edit:

Once the restaurant edits the invitation, they will be able to import contacts - either email addresses or phone numbers, like this:

You may either import a CSV file, or copy-paste contacts in the system. 

In the case of email invitations, the restaurant may choose to send them on the spot or schedule them for later, like this:

Before sending the invitations, the system will check the contacts so as not to import invalid contacts, or those of food clients that have already ordered, etc.

However, before uploading the list of clients, make sure that:

• those people are really existing clients of the restaurant that have ordered before, offline, online, or via phone 

• those people have previously agreed to receive unsolicited messages from the restaurant notifying them about the new way of ordering online (e.g., making sure that all the people who have requested to be unsubscribed or removed from the list in the past, are not on the list anymore).

Also, if the account holders are not sure about the aspects mentioned above, it is better to check with a local legal adviser.

Afterward, some statistics will be available in the "Invite Prospects -> Your invitation" section (restaurant admin panel). Here, the restaurant will be able to: 

• track the results of the invitations sent (no of invitations sent, no of orders, sales value, unsubscribed contacts)

• resume/delete a draft invitation

• create new invitations

Please note that SMS capability may not be available in some countries. If the restaurant does not see SMS sending features, please check with the system operators again.

Here is a video that shows how to use a first-buy Kickstarter promo to appeal to new customers, to attract food clients with flyers and how to make strategies to attract customers with emails & SMS invitations: