Case Study: Trapani

Trapani is a unique restaurant. It has combined the joy of sharing food with the eloquence of an upscale restaurant. 

However, until a few years ago, it suffered from the same problem that plagues all high-end restaurants: While diners supplied Trapani with most of its revenue, delivery orders formed a tiny part of its business. 

As a result, Trapani wasn’t focused on developing an online sales channel.

Even though this wouldn’t have been a big problem on a typical day, it was a catastrophe when COVID-19 hit the globe, and restaurants could no longer host people.

To remedy this, Trapani had to increase its delivery orders and to master online ordering. It partnered with Zyda to get its own Zyda site, and it created a unique product that was ideal for delivery, the T Burger. 

These decisions were inspired.

Today, Trapani receives large orders on its Zyda site, many of which come from repeat customers. Over and above, the T Burger is a smash hit.

And, best of all, Trapani successfully delivers its delicate combination of food-sharing and eloquent dining right to the customers’ homes.  

Problem

Trapani is a high-end dine-in restaurant that is part of the Seazen family, which includes other famous restaurants like Melenzane and Recco. 

It is an upscale brand that provides customers with a luxurious dining experience. For many, the high-end restaurant is an opportunity to celebrate important occasions, such as graduations, reunions, and anniversaries. It provides a space where people can share delicious food and bask in a pleasant atmosphere. 

Before the corona pandemic, Trapani was providing a spectacular dining experience, yet it wasn’t investing much in online ordering or delivery. It didn't see the need as it was a fine-dining establishment that received customers every day.

But, when Melenzane, Trapani's more casual sibling, began succeeding online with Zyda, Trapani started seeing the importance of establishing its own online sales channel. And, this became even more pressing when the corona pandemic started taking a grip of the world’s economies, forcing restaurants to close their doors and trapping people in their homes. 

Solution

To foray into the digital world, Trapani came up with the following action plan:

Trapani would need to be present on intermediaries, but it would also have its online ordering platform. So, it decided to partner with Zyda seeing as Seazen Group, the holding company managing Trapani, had used the platform with Melenzane.

Trapani would market its Zyda site via its social media accounts and other marketing channels. 

To see their Zyda site in action, click on the image below

The high-end restaurant understood that a large part of the appeal of its restaurant was the sharing experience. A group of 6 or 7 people would order several dishes and share them, getting a little of everything. With this in mind, Trapani wanted to deliver this experience to its customers’ homes.

Trapani would even create new products specifically for delivery. It added to its menu the T Burger, which was made with wagyu beef and topped with truffles and tomato jam. Hence, the new burger was designed to be an upscale, high-quality sandwich, which was in keeping with Trapani’s overall brand. 

Moreover, Trapani wouldn’t sell the T Burger in its restaurants, at least not in Kuwait. A customer could only get it delivered to their home.

Impact 

This approach proved to be a success. 

Trapani received orders online during the pandemic whose average size was 50% larger than that of most other dine-in restaurants.Additionally, almost one-third orders made on the Zyda site were by returning customers. 

The T Burger became one of Trapani’s best sellers on its Zyda site. Not only did the new burger succeed in Kuwait, but it also flourished in Qatar to such a degree that Trapani started offering it in the actual restaurants over there.

When it was all said and done, Trapani delivered its sharing experience to people’s homes. Some of the best sellers that were succeeding online were sharing plates. So, even though people were stuck at home, they were still sharing Trapani food.  

Today, as the lockdown is being lifted, Trapani is receiving customers again. Nevertheless, it doesn’t want to abandon the success that it has found online. 

So, it plans to maintain its Zyda site and to market it, enjoying the best of both worlds: the physical and the digital. Trapani believes that some customers will always want to enjoy high-quality food in the comfort of their homes. 

Moreover, this success spurred the parent company, Seazen Group, to sign its remaining brands with Zyda, including Recco.

“One of the main reasons our Zyda site has succeeded is its ease of use. I also think customers feel an added sense of security in knowing that they ordered directly from the restaurant rather than going through an aggregator.” Fatma AlFouzan (Business development senior at Seazen group)


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