Status:
Offline
Client:
PopMenu
Established:
2022
URL:
Location:
NC, USA
Project Scope:
Website Dev & Design, Branding Strategy, OLO Integration, Loyalty Automation
Alvaro Morales
- Residence:Honduras
- City:San Pedro Sula
- Gender:Male
- Age:29
- Spanish:Native
- Englsih:C2 Proficient
- German:B2
- French:A1
Blaze Burgers
Burgers, eCommerce, Restaurant Sites
Project Overview
From Food Truck to Mall Flagship
Blaze Burgers had outgrown its downtown food-truck origins, securing its first permanent location inside a high-traffic Raleigh mall. Alex, fresh off a string of mobile successes, faced a pivotal transition: converting casual mall walk-ins into loyal, repeat diners. However, the move came with tight budget constraints for photography and a distinct need to avoid the margin-killing fees of third-party delivery apps.
The mission was to build a digital engine that prioritized profitability and retention. We needed to launch a high-energy website that captured the brand's fiery personality while establishing a direct, commission-free ordering channel to sustain the business beyond the grand opening.
Challenges & Goals
The Challenges
Margin Protection: The client aggressively wanted to avoid the 20–30% fees charged by apps like DoorDash, necessitating a robust internal ordering system.
Asset Limitations: With a limited budget for professional photography, we had to rely on the client's smartphone images without compromising the site's professional polish.
Rapid Timeline: The site needed to go from concept to launch in just four weeks to coincide with the mall's grand opening marketing push.
The Goals
Commission-Free Revenue: Integrate Popmenu’s native OLO system to capture pickup and delivery orders directly, keeping 100% of the profits in-house.
Customer Retention: Implement automated loyalty tools (AIM) to capture customer data and drive repeat visits through birthday specials and welcome offers.
Brand Translation: Translate the fiery food truck logo into a cohesive digital palette using Deep Charcoal (#181914) and Primary Red (#d32123).
Strategy & Approach
Phase 1: Visual Heat & Typography
We translated the brand’s "fiery" energy into a bold UI. We utilized Sancreek for headers to give the site a distinctive Western/BBQ feel, grounded by Open Sans for readability. The palette—Deep Charcoal backgrounds with Red CTAs—was designed to make the food photography pop, even with smartphone-quality assets.
Phase 2: The "DIY" Asset Strategy
To overcome the photography budget gap, I provided the client with a styling guide for smartphone photography (lighting, angles, plating). This empowered Alex to produce consistent, high-impact food images that we then optimized for the web, proving that you don't need a studio to look appetizing.
Phase 3: The Loyalty Loop
We didn't just build a menu; we built a retention machine. We set up Automated Insights & Messaging (AIM) to trigger welcome emails and birthday coupons automatically. Coupled with a digital gift card integration, this strategy ensured that first-time mall visitors had a compelling reason to return.
Solutions Delivered
| Area | Highlight |
|---|---|
| Commerce Engine | Integrated commission-free online ordering for pickup and delivery, featuring prominent "Order Online" hero buttons. |
| Automated Marketing | Deployed AIM workflows to send automated welcome coupons and birthday offers, building a passive retention funnel. |
| Visual Design | Crafted a custom "Charcoal & Red" theme with Sancreek typography to match the brand's food truck heritage. |
| Local SEO | Targeted keywords like "smash burgers Raleigh" and implemented LocalBusiness Schema to capture mall-adjacent search traffic. |
| Revenue Expansion | Enabled a branded Digital Gift Card module to drive immediate cash flow before the doors even opened. |
Results & Impact
Alex
Owner
“The bold typography and high-contrast layout match our intense flavors. The mobile ordering flow is smooth and fast.”
20%
Direct Orders
In the first month, 1 in 5 orders came through the commission-free website, significantly protecting profit margins.
300+
Subscribers
The automated marketing setup captured over 300 emails in the opening week, instantly creating a marketing audience.
50+
Gift Cards Sold
The pre-launch gift card strategy generated positive cash flow and guaranteed future foot traffic before opening day.
Screens & Layouts
Kevin
Owner
“I finally feel like our website works as hard as our kitchen.”
