This case study is in collaboration with unPLUG Dining, a next-generation guest engagement and ordering solution for restaurants.

Overview

California Fish Grill (CFG), an ambitious fast-casual seafood brand, partnered with Bite Kiosk and unPLUG (Web + App) to design a fully integrated first-party ordering ecosystem. The initiative focused on driving results through optimizing each digital interaction for on-premise and off-premise guests.

For a brand whose nearly 80% of its revenue is digital, the goal was clear: create a seamless digital ordering journey that maximizes guest convenience, strengthens loyalty, and unlocks profitability through first-party channels.

Challenge

CFG faced three core challenges in its digital growth:

Over-Reliance on Third-Party Platforms

Third-party delivery platforms created brand disintermediation, reduced margins, and limited CRM growth.

Fragmented Guest Data

With guest transactions spread across web, mobile, and in-store channels, CFG lacked a unified view of customers, limiting personalization and communication.

Guest Frequency and Mobile Growth Bottleneck

The incumbent ordering system lacked rewards, engagement, and personalization, resulting in the brand struggling to increase guest frequency. This was most evident in the lack of growth for the mobile app.

The Solution: First-Party Ordering Ecosystem

Bite Kiosk Integration

Self-service kiosks powered by Bite streamlined on-premise ordering while automatically capturing guest data into CFG’s CRM. This not only reduced line friction but also became a consistent source of CRM enrollment.

unPLUG Web + App Experience

unPLUG designed CFG’s iOS, Android, and Web ordering platforms to deliver a frictionless experience that emphasizes first-party ordering. Features included:

• Deep-linking from web to app for a seamless handoff
• Loyalty enrollment at checkout
• Push, SMS, and email campaigns powered by CRM integration

Unified CRM Growth

By connecting kiosks, web, and app into a single CRM pipeline, CFG achieved holistic guest visibility. This enabled personalized communication, targeted campaigns, and scalable frequency drivers.

Key Growth Mechanisms via First-Party Channels

Driving Growth in Sales

Consistent first-party channel adoption increased both on-premise and off-premise revenue.

In-store and Online Loyalty

The technology allowed guests to earn and redeem rewards in-store and online just by checking in with their phone number. Supercharging the adoption of the program

Direct Customer Communication

First-party platforms gave CFG control of messaging, allowing brand-authentic promotions and real-time communication with loyal guests.

Reinforcing Mobile Growth

For the most loyal percentile of guests, the app became a must. CFG has seen its mobile app revenue increase by nearly 60% in just 6 months.

2025 YTD Results

• Off-Premise Sales Growth (YoY): +13.89% → $1.5M revenue growth
• On-Premise Kiosk Sales Growth (YoY): +7.26% → $2.1M revenue growth
• Loyalty Sign-Ups: 157,152 new members → 50% frequency uplift among enrolled guests
• CRM Growth: 100,000 new guests added through kiosk, web, and app

Impact

The partnership between CFG, Bite, and unPLUG created a flywheel effect:

• More guests onboarded into loyalty through kiosks and digital ordering.
• CRM growth enabled targeted campaigns that reinforced frequency.
• Mobile adoption unlocked new channels for communication and repeat purchase.
• First-party ordering reduced reliance on aggregators, delivering both margin expansion and brand ownership.