'In October and November when we were driving traffic to the website, customers were able to find the online ordering, and I don't think they did before,' said Yeager. Yeager points to the redesign and the subsequent increase in traffic as the major driver behind the online ordering increase. Unique users have increased more than 40 percent over the same period last year, and mobile traffic has grown 46.2 percent over last October. 'The traffic on the website has doubled since we revamped it,' said Yeager. The redesign focused on making the site usable for customers and easy to update for the brand. While the previous site won awards for its appearance, it was difficult to navigate. The centerpiece of the digital campaign was an overhaul of the brand's website, which went live in September. Highlights of Tijuana Flats' strategy include:

The key to Tijuana Flats' success was that they didn't put all their eggs in one basket, said David Wheeler, VP of Operations for EdgeCore, but used multiple strategies. Tijuana Flats kicked off its comprehensive digital marketing campaign in April with the help of marketing agency EdgeCore. The digital campaign fits with the brand's budget and goals. The brand doesn't have the budget for television advertising, but relies heavily on grassroots community-driven campaigns, said Yeager. 'I do believe that we've done that with sales increases year over year each month.' 'Our overall goal is always to drive traffic in the restaurants,' said Monique Yeager, VP of Marketing for the 107-unit Florida-based brand. The brand has also seen a 2-percent bump in comps. Thanks to the digital campaign, online orders have grown from hovering around 2 to 3 percent of total sales to more than 5 percent in just two months. Tijuana Flats is crediting a comprehensive digital campaign with a 119-percent increase in online ordering.

Tijuana flats online order