Restaurant Brands International Inc. (“RBI”), the owner of the TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, and POPEYES® brands and one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies, announced a regional partnership with Ant Group to accelerate digital transformation of its restaurant operations across Asia Pacific. This agreement adds to RBI’s ongoing efforts to support local franchisee operations and growth in the Asia Pacific market.
Ant Group will collaborate with RBI’s local franchisees to implement a variety of digital solutions, including a mini programme Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution and Alipay+, a suite of global cross-border mobile payments and marketing solutions. The collaboration aims to provide a more convenient and seamless omni-channel experience for local diners while also improving the operational efficiency of the restaurants.
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With the mini program SaaS solution, Ant Group will develop mini programs for each of RBI’s brands, namely Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes, adapted for each local market. Via the mini program, RBI’s local franchisees will be able to digitally integrate online and offline operations to drive increased efficiency and gain deeper operational insights. At the same time, diners will have access to expanded services, such as contactless menus and payments, online ordering for pickup or delivery, scan-and-order function in store, etc. Furthermore, the mini programs will also incorporate each RBI brand’s existing loyalty program and provide additional digital marketing capabilities, such as distribution of digital vouchers, etc.
To assist RBI’s local restaurants in reaching more local diners, the mini programmes will be integrated into other local and regional digital platforms, such as leading regional F&B tech startup Chope and e-wallets in Southeast Asia, among others.
The collaboration will also see RBI leveraging the Alipay+ solutions to allow more payment options to be accepted in-store, on websites, apps, and via the mini programs. With the integration of Alipay+ solutions, RBI’s operations will support payment options such as Touch ‘n Go eWallet in Malaysia, True Money wallet in Thailand, GCash in the Philippines, Kakao Pay in South Korea, and many others.
“We couldn’t be more excited to launch this groundbreaking partnership with Ant Group, which further supports our mission to make ordering and dining as easy as possible for our guests and leveraging payments to provide a more convenient and personalised experience,” said Ekrem Ozer, President of APAC, Restaurant Brands International. “Franchisees across Asia will soon be able to benefit from the advantages of digitisation across operations and the mini programs’ integration into other digital platforms.”
“Leveraging digital payments and marketing innovations is critical for industries like food and beverage to provide contactless services, boost operational efficiency, and adapt to the fast-changing market conditions,” said Angel Zhao, President of Ant Group’s International Business Group. “We look forward to assisting RBI in its overall digital transformation journey as it reinvents how diners connect with RBI brands both online and offline to create superior customer experiences.”
This activation will take place across eight selected markets in Asia Pacific, and 1,500 restaurants across all three RBI brands.
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