Restaurants need more than an online ordering page to build lasting customer relationships. They also need ways to keep their mobile app relevant, showcase what's new, and give customers reasons to come back.
That's why Smart Online Order is introducing Stories, a new feature for its branded restaurant mobile apps. Stories lets restaurants publish image-based updates directly to their app's home screen, helping them highlight special offers, introduce new menu items, and share important announcements.
Inspired by the familiar Stories format used on social media, this feature brings a similar browsing experience into a restaurant's own branded app.
Instead of relying only on social media feeds or hoping customers see an email, restaurants can place timely visual updates where customers already go to browse and order from their business.
Stories is an image-based content feature that allows restaurants to publish short updates inside their Smart Online Order branded mobile app.
Restaurants can upload an image, add a title and caption, configure audience settings, and control options such as automatic expiration and slide timing.
Once published and enabled on the app's home screen, Stories gives customers a convenient way to browse restaurant updates without navigating away from the app's main experience.
Restaurants can use Stories to share:
The key idea is simple: your restaurant can turn its branded app into more than an ordering channel. It can also become a place where customers discover what's new at your business.
Many restaurant technology platforms offer branded mobile apps, online ordering, loyalty programs, and customer messaging. These features help restaurants encourage repeat orders and maintain customer relationships.
Smart Online Order Stories adds a dedicated way to publish visual updates within the branded app experience.
Rather than creating a separate social media post for every announcement, a restaurant can use Stories to present timely content directly inside its own app.
Based on the publicly available product pages reviewed for this article, we did not identify the same dedicated in-app Stories publishing workflow on Owner.com or Popmenu. This is a comparison of publicly documented features, not a claim that these companies cannot offer similar functionality through other features or future updates.
For restaurants comparing branded app providers, the distinction is worth exploring: does the platform simply provide an app, or does it also provide a dedicated workflow for publishing visual updates inside that app?
Have a weekend special, lunch deal, or seasonal promotion? Create a Story with an attractive image and a short caption explaining the offer.
For example:
Title: Weekend Special
Caption: Make your weekend delicious. Order your favorites and enjoy our latest special while it lasts.
Stories can help bring attention to an offer when customers open your branded app. Be sure to include accurate terms, dates, and any applicable restrictions in your promotional content.
Introducing a new burger, seasonal drink, dessert, or signature dish? Use a high-quality image to make the launch more visible.
A simple Story could include a product photo, a short description, and a clear announcement that the item is available.
This is especially useful for restaurants that update their menus regularly and want existing customers to discover something new.
Stories can also communicate practical information.
Restaurants can publish updates about holiday hours, temporary closures, special opening times, or other changes customers should know about.
Keep the message direct and easy to read. For time-sensitive announcements, include the relevant dates so customers understand when the information applies.
Stories can support seasonal marketing throughout the year, including summer menus, back-to-school offers, holiday meals, and special events.
Instead of leaving the app's home screen unchanged for months, restaurants can refresh it with relevant content that reflects what's happening at the business.
A branded app is more useful when customers have a reason to return between orders.
Regularly updated Stories can give customers something new to discover, whether it's a featured dish, a limited-time offer, or an upcoming event.
Stories do not guarantee more orders on their own. Their value comes from combining relevant content with a convenient ordering experience and promotions that customers actually want.
Follow these steps to create a Story for your branded restaurant app.
Open the Smart Online Order Loyalty Dashboard and sign in to your account.
If you have not created an account, register before continuing.
From the dashboard, navigate to:
Mobile App → Stories
Select Add New Story to begin creating your update.
Upload a clear, high-quality image that matches the message you want to communicate.
You might choose a food photo for a new menu item, a promotional graphic for a discount, or an announcement image for a holiday schedule.
The current feature supports image uploads. Video support is planned for a future update, so use images for Stories at this stage.
Complete the available settings for your Story.
Title: Give the update a short, descriptive name.
Description or caption: Explain the offer, announcement, or featured item in a few words.
Audience targeting: Select the available Customer Type and Account Status options to determine the intended audience.
Auto-Expire: Configure automatic expiration when appropriate, so time-sensitive content does not remain active longer than intended.
Slide Timer: Set how long the Story slide displays before moving to the next slide.
For example, a restaurant promoting a new seasonal drink could use the title “Meet Your New Favorite” and a short caption describing the drink.
Review all settings before publishing.
When the image and settings are ready, click Publish Story.
Your Story will be published according to its configured settings. However, publishing a Story and displaying the Stories section in the app are separate steps.
To make Stories accessible to customers, sign in to the Loyalty Dashboard and navigate to:
Mobile App → Customize App → Home screen
Locate the Stories row and enable it.
Once the section is enabled, customers can access Stories from the home screen of your branded app, subject to the Story's configured audience and expiration settings.
Before announcing the feature to customers, preview your app and verify that the Stories section appears as expected.
Restaurants researching branded mobile apps often compare Smart Online Order with platforms such as Owner.com, Popmenu, and ChowNow.
Each platform offers a different combination of ordering, marketing, loyalty, and app functionality. The best choice depends on your POS system, website, customer engagement strategy, and operational requirements.
| Platform | Publicly advertised capabilities | Stories comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Online Order | Clover POS integration, online ordering, WordPress integration, branded apps, and the Stories feature described in this article | Dedicated workflow to publish image-based Stories inside the branded app |
| Owner.com | Branded restaurant apps, online ordering, loyalty, and push notification marketing | Public pages reviewed describe these capabilities, but we did not identify the same dedicated in-app Stories publishing workflow |
| Popmenu | Branded apps, online ordering, loyalty, and push notifications | Publicly promotes app and menu engagement features; we did not identify the same dedicated in-app Stories publishing workflow |
| ChowNow | Branded iOS and Android apps, direct online ordering, push notifications, reordering, and loyalty features | Public pages reviewed did not establish an equivalent dedicated Stories publishing workflow |
This table summarizes publicly available product information reviewed for this article. Features and availability can change. It does not establish that a competitor lacks all similar functionality.
Owner.com offers branded restaurant apps alongside online ordering, loyalty, automated marketing, and push notifications. These tools are designed to help restaurants encourage direct orders and repeat business.
Smart Online Order is particularly relevant to restaurants using supported Clover POS systems and to businesses that want to connect online ordering with their own website.
Its Stories feature adds a dedicated way to publish visual updates inside the branded app. For a restaurant that regularly promotes daily specials, new dishes, and limited-time offers, this may be a useful point to evaluate when comparing platforms.
Explore Owner.com's branded app offering and Smart Online Order to compare the available solutions for your business.
Popmenu combines restaurant websites, online ordering, marketing, loyalty, and branded mobile apps. Its publicly advertised app features include ordering, rewards, and push notifications.
Popmenu has also announced Spotlight Menu, which uses Instagram-style dish videos to showcase menu items. That is relevant for restaurants evaluating visual marketing features, but a menu-video experience is not necessarily the same as publishing a sequence of Stories inside a branded app.
Smart Online Order Stories is designed specifically for publishing image-based updates through the branded app's Stories section.
Restaurants should compare where each type of content appears, how it is created, and whether it reaches customers through the app, website, or another channel.
See Popmenu's branded mobile app and Smart Online Order for more information.
ChowNow promotes branded mobile apps, direct online ordering, loyalty, push notifications, and reordering features.
These capabilities can help restaurants build direct customer relationships. The additional question for businesses interested in Stories is whether the provider offers the specific in-app publishing workflow they want.
Smart Online Order Stories provides a documented way to upload an image, add a title and caption, configure audience settings, and manage expiration and slide timing for a Story.
Compare the current feature sets and integration requirements before choosing a platform.
Learn more about ChowNow's branded mobile apps and Smart Online Order.
A Story is most effective when the content is useful, timely, and easy to understand.
Use strong images. Choose clear food photography or simple promotional graphics that look good on a phone screen.
Keep captions short. Lead with the most important information and avoid paragraphs of text inside a Story.
Make offers specific. Include the discount, applicable dates, and relevant conditions when promoting a deal.
Match content to your audience. Use the available audience targeting options to select the intended customer types and account statuses.
Review expiration settings. A holiday-hours announcement or weekend promotion should not stay active after it becomes outdated.
Refresh content regularly. Publish updates when you have something relevant to share rather than filling the app with repetitive announcements.
Measure the impact. Where reporting is available, monitor changes in app engagement, direct orders, and redemption of promoted offers. This can help you understand which content resonates with customers.
Smart Online Order Stories is an image-based feature for branded restaurant mobile apps. Restaurants can publish updates such as promotions, new menu items, seasonal campaigns, and important announcements.
Sign in to the Loyalty Dashboard and navigate to Mobile App → Customize App → Home screen. Enable the Stories row so the section can appear on your app's home screen.
The current feature supports image uploads. Video support is planned for a future update.
The Story creation form includes Customer Type and Account Status audience targeting options. Available selections determine how you can tailor a Story's intended audience.
Yes. The feature includes an Auto-Expire setting that you can configure when creating a Story.
Yes. The Slide Timer setting lets you configure how long a slide displays before moving to the next one.
Owner.com publicly advertises branded apps, loyalty, online ordering, and push notification marketing. In the public product pages reviewed for this article, we did not identify the same dedicated in-app Stories publishing workflow documented for Smart Online Order. Product capabilities can change, so confirm current features directly with each provider.
Popmenu advertises branded apps and other visual engagement features, including its Spotlight Menu with Instagram-style dish videos. We did not identify the same dedicated in-app Stories publishing workflow on the public pages reviewed. Restaurants should distinguish between menu videos and a Stories section managed within a branded app.
Stories is a feature of Smart Online Order's branded app experience. Contact Smart Online Order to confirm availability for your account and app configuration.
A restaurant app should make ordering easy, but it can also help customers discover new dishes, stay informed, and learn about promotions.
Smart Online Order Stories gives restaurants a dedicated way to publish image-based updates inside their branded mobile app. With titles, captions, audience settings, expiration controls, and slide timing, restaurants can tailor their updates to their business and customers.
If you use Clover POS and want to explore branded online ordering and customer engagement tools, learn more about Smart Online Order.
Give customers another reason to open your restaurant's app, discover what's new, and order directly from your business.