Cartwheel, an on-demand delivery management platform for restaurants and retailers, announced that it has been selected as the self-delivery platform of choice for P.F. Chang’s restaurants nationwide. Following a pilot program, the partnership has rolled out at more than 100 P.F. Chang’s locations.
P.F. Chang’s saw a rapid increase in demand for delivery at the outset of the pandemic. The company is committed to providing a personalized experience for guests, and having previously managed catering deliveries in-house, recognized the positive impact self-delivery has on the holistic customer experience. Following the pilot program, P.F. Chang’s recognized that the benefits of self-delivery far outweighed the cost of implementation.
“The customer experience is paramount to P.F. Chang’s, and we aim to provide the same level of service via delivery that we would for our guests who dine in with us,” says Candice Barnett, Vice President of Off-Premises Dining, P.F. Chang’s. “Cartwheel allows us to handle the highest priority orders with self-delivery, ensuring the experience is seamless, delivered with P.F.Chang’s Hospitality and encouraging the customer to return for repeat deliveries, through our native ordering platforms.”
Cartwheel offers restaurants and retailers a hybrid delivery model, allowing brands to launch a self-delivery program alongside their third-party partners. With Cartwheel, brands are able to self-select certain orders – often those that are high-value or priority – for self-delivery and outsource the rest to third-party delivery services. This model leads to customer loyalty and retention, while also providing restaurants with a hedge against the rising costs of outsourcing.
“Outsourcing delivery, while convenient, will only get more expensive as demand continues to increase, and the customer experience depends not only on the third party and its practices, but on the individual driver as well,” adds Alex Vasilkin, co-founder and CEO, Cartwheel. “Self-delivery from Cartwheel helps restaurants safeguard against price increases from outsourced delivery partners while strengthening brand loyalty, and we’re proud to power this offering for P.F. Chang’s.”
Cartwheel’s turnkey offering includes an easy-to-use driver app, sophisticated dispatch tools for managers, and user-friendly customer interaction functionality. Cartwheel also offers a seamless integration with Olo (NYSE: OLO), a leading on-demand commerce platform with a network of more than 400 restaurant brands, providing shared customers a simplified solution to bolster their direct channels and drive success.
To date, Cartwheel has powered deliveries for top brands including Portillo’s (also a Cartwheel investor), Tacos 4 Life, Charleys Philly Steaks, and more.
