SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. – In a community built on the shoulders of the hospitality industry, the closure of restaurants, bars, and coffeeshops has been catastrophic to both employees and the people that enjoy and rely on their food and drink. Those restaurants and cafes lucky enough to have already employed a point-of-sale system that offers web-based ordering have come out ahead, leaving others scrambling to find a solution to keep their kitchens running — not an easy or cheap task.
In an effort to help more of the affected businesses reopen their kitchens and get their staff back to work, the folks at two local digital agencies have partnered to build Pineapple Pickup, a simple online ordering platform for restaurants, cafes, coffee shops or really, any establishment that offers carry-out.
“Pineapple Pickup” is built on the popular Shopify platform, and, most notably, owned solely by the restaurant to do with as they please — not a third party like UberEats or DoorDash. Restaurants get cash payouts within 24 hours, directly into their bank accounts, and can control what and how they sell online. Customers get notifications via SMS or email, and the entire transaction takes place without any need for person-to-person contact. .
“This easy solution gives restaurant owners the ability to be up and running quickly, offer online ordering, process payments electronically and safely offer curbside pickup to their customers,” says Donny Minchillo, co-founder and CEO of Pineapple Development. “But what we’re most excited about is the future potential. Their site can be customized over time to be whatever they want it to be; so if they make their own salsa or coffee or have a line of really cool swag, they can market and sell those items through their online store and create an entirely new revenue stream for their business.”
“People are already really comfortable ordering food online – that much is clear from sources like eMarketer that have predicted the number of U.S. users on third-party food delivery apps would jump from 38 million in 2019 to 60 million by 2023,” said Andi Graham, CEO and managing partner of Big Sea. “But if there’s one thing we know, , the folks in our community are deeply loyal to their local coffee shops, restaurants and cafes. People truly want to support their local restaurants, and if they can do it directly, without a delivery fee, a solution like Pineapple Pickup is a win-win. It won’t replace delivery for those nights you just need dinner to show up at your door, but it’s an added contactless option to foster direct connection between restaurant and foodie.”
Pineapple Pickup is available now and more details can be found by visiting www.pineapplepickup.com.
In further support of the restaurant industry, Big Sea is the heart behind the “St. Pete Virtual Tip Jar” to allow community members and #keepstpetelocal enthusiasts an opportunity to support their favorite servers, bartenders and baristas who have already been out of work for several weeks as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
About Pineapple Development
Pineapple Development is a boutique web development agency providing eCommerce-specific strategy and web development. Its team of senior developers includes Shopify specialists, Magento 1 & 2 Certified developers and capabilities to create custom web applications. Based in St. Petersburg, FL the Pineapple Development team is primarily remote, and global; because the best talent in the industry is not always found all in one place. For more information visit www.pineappledevelopment.com/
About Big Sea
Since 2005, Big Sea has partnered with successful businesses and organizations to provide branding, strategy, design, development, and marketing. With a commitment to staying fresh and evolving with the ever-changing digital landscape, Big Sea has remained true to its core taking on partnerships with brands its team is passionate about. Voted a 2019 ‘Inc. Best Work-Places’ winner and a ‘Top Service Provider’ by UpCity, Big Sea has long established itself as a leader in collaboration, strategic ideas for innovation and ethical marketing. Big Sea is headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL and opened a second office in Colorado Springs, CO in 2019. For more information visit www.bigsea.co