Point, Shoot And Dine App Gives Restaurants Groupon Alternative
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
SimpleDeal Creates New Sales Channel For Smaller Businesses
As evidenced by a series of recent acquisitions, Groupon is expanding. As the leading deal-of-the-day provider expands, SimpleDeal CEO James McKinney sees an opportunity to capture some of its business. Where Groupon leaves off, McKinney wants to pick up, at least as far as restaurants go. His mobile app, SimpleDeal, simplifies the process of finding and creating deals. The app targets smaller restaurants by offering them a way to connect with customers by paying a small monthly fee instead of a per sale percentage. For customers, SimpleDeal is a highly relevant way to get information fast: customers simply “point, shoot, and dine.” SimpleDeal utilizes GPS technology to bring customers information about nearby deals and specials that a participating restaurant has created.
In its approach to both restaurants and consumers, SimpleDeal strives to be more customer-centric than Groupon. It puts information in customers’ hands when, and where, they want it while allowing restaurants to easily switch up deals, add new ones, and change details as needed. "SimpleDeal is made for the small guys. The restaurant industry is the second largest industry within the U.S. and 70 percent of it is made up of small business owners who only own one restaurant, which means it's their livelihood," James McKinney states. Available at a competitive price of $39 dollars per month for restaurateurs, it runs on a completely different sales model than does Groupon. For customers, the app is free.
SimpleDeal was test released in October of 2013 in Long Beach, CA to rave reviews. SimpleDeal is available on iOS; development for Android is now underway. McKinney plans to expand SimpleDeal to grow the platform and reach a larger market: SimpleDeal is currently using crowdfunding platform Indiegogo as a way to meet its goal of $100,000 to push these plans along further. The app has currently raised $2,000 and will be running on Indiegogo for the next 45 days. As SimpleDeal aims to be more cost-effective for restaurants, it represents an approachable way for smaller businesses to branch into a new channel of generating sales.