Dive Brief:
- Hooters has partnered with Olo to create a virtual food court that is live across 196 units, the company wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive.
- At launch, Hooters’ virtual food court includes three virtual concepts: Chase Elliott’s Chicken Tenders, Hootie’s Burger Bar and Hootie’s Bait and Tackle.
- The company plans to expand this portal with additional concepts that offer new menu options and to roll out a mobile app.
Dive Insight:
While other casual chains have contracted their virtual brands or added them to their restaurant menus, Hooters is expanding this channel. The virtual platform allows customers to combine orders to be delivered as one order by one delivery driver. It also reduces the overall cost of delivery, the company said.
“Building a digital marketplace is essential in today’s restaurant world. This new platform allows us to give our virtual concepts life beyond the delivery apps,” said Marc Butler, senior vice president of strategic planning/off premise at Hooters of America. “Customers can directly place online orders for carryout, or if they want the convenience of delivery, we can provide that without the hassle and added cost of going through the delivery apps.”
Hooters originally launched Chase Elliott’s Chicken Tenders in November, which offers tenders, boneless wings, chicken sandwiches and buffalo chicken sandwiches. Last year, the company also partnered with Franklin Junction to extend its off-premise offerings through host kitchens.
Smokey Bones, which leaned heavily into its off-premise channel, launched a virtual food court last year to house all of its virtual brands.
Hooters’ virtual brands could provide additional revenue to new and existing franchisees. The company, which franchises and operates over 410 Hooters restaurants in 38 states and 24 countries, has been pushing for increased franchise development. In April, the company launched an incentive program offering 40 weeks of free royalties for any new Hooters store commitments signed this year. This incentive is in addition to a 10% discount on franchise fees it already offers veterans.
