Editor’s note: This article has been updated since its original posting to correct the name of the Waitr founder. It’s Chris Meaux, not Nick. 225 Dine regrets this error.
To-go and delivery from your favorite restaurant in Baton Rouge just got a lot easier with the introduction of Waitr, a digital waiter app that takes your order from wherever you are.
Launched in Lake Charles in 2014, Waitr partners with local restaurants to allow mobile ordering and payment to streamline to-go services. Participating restaurants can also enable delivery through the app for extra convenience. The app’s website claims to improve the dining experience for customers, business owners and actual waiters alike by expanding markets, giving waiters more time to focus on in-house tickets and cutting out complicated chains of communication for ordering.
The app has boomed with 57 restaurants in Lake Charles and 60 in Lafayette available for order through Waitr, and expansion to the Baton Rouge market felt like a natural next step for founder Chris Meaux and his team. The rollout officially began in mid-January, with local eateries already signing up all over town. So far, 14 Baton Rouge restaurants have joined Waitr, including Tsunami, City Pork Deli & Charcuterie, Fresh Kitchen, Boil & Roux, The Salad Shop and several Rotolo’s locations.
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The interface is straightforward—simply set up an account, select the restaurant you want to order from, browse a full menu complete with descriptions and photos of dishes, add them to your cart just like any online shopping service and then check out via credit card.
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The landing page for each restaurant will show a map highlighting its delivery area to make sure your location falls within it. The app even provides a “Demo Diner” for users to test out the ordering process without signing up or placing and order, just to get a feel for the system.
The app also allows each user to customize their profile with favorites, provides a record of recent orders and can even split up a check for group orders so you don’t have to keep paying for your coworkers’ lunches. And unlike other delivery facilitation services, Waitr charges no fees through the app—though there is a $4.99 minimum for delivery and restaurants may tack on a fee themselves. The app’s sustainability comes from charging the restaurants a small fee per order.
With a culinary scene striving toward the cutting edge, going digital could be just the next step Baton Rouge restaurants need. Download the app for iOS or Android.