East Side Mario’s has launched Canada-wide delivery service across its 75 restaurants.
The move comes at a time when Canadians are increasingly turning to delivery and take-out services rather than dining at restaurants. Sean Dennehy, senior brand manager for East Side Mario’s, said the move was motivated by changes in consumer preference and the increased desire for convenience.
As Dennehy pointed out, there has been a rise of fast-casual restaurants, home meal replacements and new food delivery services like UberEats that address consumers’ appetite for easy alternatives to eating out. He said East Side Mario’s full-service traffic was flat, which led the restaurant to delivery as a way to increase revenue and carve a pathway to future growth for its franchisees.
“This added level of convenience will allow us to stay ahead of trend,” Dennehy said.
The restaurant has branded the new venture “Mario in Minutes.” Like its umbrella brand, the logo for Mario in Minutes is predominantly red, white and green – the colours of the Italian flag. The logo was designed by Jump Branding and Design.
On April 18 East Side Mario’s started airing a new 15-second TV spot crafted by BT/A that focuses on its $11.99 build-your-own pizza or pasta deal. The spot is airing on TSN and Sportsnet through May 1 with an ad buy by Genuine Media.
The restaurant is also supporting Mario in Minutes with coupons and print flyers aimed at driving trial. And in June, the restaurant’s brand chef, Kevin Maniaci, will appear on several morning shows to prepare dishes from the new delivery menu. The restaurant’s PR is managed by Cowan & Company.
Prior to the cross-country launch, a third of the chain’s franchisees were offering delivery service. East Side Mario’s has also been offering online ordering and pick-up since 2011. The national launch will see those efforts consolidated via a centralized guest services team that will handle all of its delivery orders – a model based on the success of another Cara-owned restaurant, Swiss Chalet.
Most pizza chains that compete with East Side Mario’s, like Dominos and Pizza Hut, already offer delivery service. Dennehy said he sees pasta as East Side Mario’s differentiator. Many pizza chains offer some pasta dishes, but Dennehy said he sees an opening in the market for a delivery option with pasta expertise.
