How Thai District Boosted Direct Sales to $300,000 Annually While Growing Their Customer Loyalty

Thai District is a full-service Thai restaurant located in the Art District of Long Beach, California. Established 10 years ago by Andre Angles and his co-owner Ty Theara, the restaurant offers a unique dining experience in a historic two-story building with a cozy atmosphere. What began as an unexpected venture combining two restaurant owners from different backgrounds, has flourished into a thriving restaurant that’s become a staple in downtown Long Beach. 

Andre partnered with ChowNow to bring Thai District online. Thai District now has a branded app, and uses powerful marketing tools that help them build customer loyalty and increase sales without the burden of commissions.

Finding the Right Online Ordering Partner

When Thai District first opened, they had no online ordering system in place. As a full-service restaurant in downtown Long Beach, they focused primarily on in-house dining, with little emphasis on takeout or delivery options. “Before ChowNow, we had no online ordering partners, we had no app,” explains Andre Angles, owner of Thai District.

Andre initially hesitated to expand into takeout and delivery, concerned about how it would fit into their operations. “When we opened, my partner was telling me we need to start doing a little more takeout and deliveries. And I was like, ‘Well, we’re kind of busy and it’s not easy.’ I didn’t really believe in it,” Andre recalls.

“We didn’t have an online ordering system at first,” Andre explains. “When ChowNow approached us, I researched their reputation and called friends who were already using it. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so we decided to partner with them.”

Transforming Marketing and Customer Engagement

For Thai District, ChowNow quickly became more than just an ordering platform, it transformed into a powerful marketing tool that helped them build and maintain customer relationships.

Thai District has built an impressive marketing database through ChowNow, collecting thousands of email addresses for targeted promotions while achieving over 1,200 downloads of their branded mobile app. 

This valuable customer data enables them to run effective marketing campaigns that drive results. For restaurants like Thai District, owning customer information is crucial, it gives them direct access to diners without relying on third parties, allowing them to build meaningful relationships and target promotions to the people most likely to respond.

In the past year alone, $18,000 of their online sales came directly from automated email marketing. Even more impressive, their branded mobile app accounted for 17% of their online sales, proof that investing in direct ordering channels with customer loyalty tools pays off substantially.

Creating a Seamless Customer Experience with a Branded App

Thai District’s branded mobile app has become a crucial part of their business. The app’s user-friendly design makes ordering simple and encourages repeat business.

“The app is fabulous and very effective. It keeps track of what diners ordered the previous time, so they can reorder the same thing. It’s very convenient and just a click away,” Andre explains. 

To encourage app adoption and increase direct orders, Thai District offers customers 10% off for first time app orders. “It’s very easy to do and they get a discount when they download the app and use it.” To date, Thai District has had over 9,400 diners use this promotion and begin direct ordering.

Significant Growth and Financial Impact

The partnership with ChowNow has delivered impressive results for Thai District. What started as zero online orders has grown into a substantial revenue stream. Thai District has seen remarkable financial results with ChowNow, processing $300,000 in sales in the past year alone. 

For Andre, the decision to partner with ChowNow has proven to be one of his best business moves. “Looking back, partnering with ChowNow was probably one of the best decisions ever,” he reflects. “The numbers are just incredible.”

Andre appreciates ChowNow’s reliable customer service and responsive support team. “The customer service is really good. The team is great. They’re very responsive on the phone, on email, you can send a message through the tablet,” he explains.