This is Denny's ace in the hole as it ventures into delivery
Denny's (NASDAQ: DENN) is finally entering the delivery game and it's got a secret weapon.
Starting Tuesday, about 50 percent of the company's restaurants will be able to use third-party delivery services to bring pancakes, burgers and milkshakes right to your door.
The diner chain partnered with digital ordering heavyweight Olo to launch its on-demand ordering service. Olo, which has worked with more than 160 restaurant brands nationwide, has helped drive growth for many companies by creating an easier and more streamlined online ordering system.
While Denny's website and app are impressive, offering customers the ability to customize their orders with a swipe of their finger and track delivery in real time, the real hero of the chain's new service is its plastic containers.
Anyone who has ever ordered french fries, knows that they can get soggy from the condensation that gathers on the lid of the container. Situations like these are one of the biggest hurtles that restaurants face to deliver food that tastes just like it would at the restaurant.
"The packages are designed to keep the Denny's quality food still quality food when it gets to the off-premise location," John Dillon, chief marketing officer at Denny's, told CNBC.
The company has created several different packages for its wide variety of menu items. For its breakfast foods, Denny's containers have a separate section just for the pancakes that sits above the basin that holds the eggs, hash browns and bacon.
The lid is vented to keep the food from getting soggy, but still keeps the items warm.
Other containers, like the one that Denny's will place its burgers in, feature tweets from Denny's to "add a little personality" to the packages, Dillon said.
All packaging is microwavable and made with sustainable materials, which means that they can be recycled after use.
Delivery has become a major priority for restaurants in the last year, particularly as mobile and online ordering have become more popular with consumers.
Digital orders have increased by 45 percent since 2014, according to The NPD Group, and now account for nearly 1.7 billion in food service visits.
In addition, mobile order checks tend to be as much as 20 to 30 percent higher than a traditional in-store check. That's because customers have more time to consider their options, and restaurants are better able to upsell.
Upselling is a technique by which a chain can offer upgrades or add-ons to meals at regular or a discounted price, in an attempt to ring up a higher sale.
Dillon told CNBC that this is just the start for Denny's delivery. The company will continue to roll out the service across its entire system.
Correction: This story was revised to correct that the tweets on the packages were sent by Denny's.
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