Dinova Enhances Mobile App to Help Business Travelers Find Preferred Restaurants

ATLANTA, July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Dinova LLC unveiled an enhanced mobile application for Android and iPhone smartphones, making it easier for the business travelers they serve to locate Dinova network restaurants and facilitating patronage of the 10,000-plus dining establishments in the Dinova network.

Following national trends, employees of Dinova's corporate clients are downloading the enhanced app with increasing frequency, raising awareness of preferred restaurants among both event planners and road warriors as they consider dining options.  In fact, according to a late 2013 survey by SITA, 84 percent of business travelers carry a smartphone. Market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey found that 81 percent of smartphone owners search for restaurants via a mobile app, making it the most researched industry by consumers. In light of these dynamics, the enhanced app gives Dinova network restaurants a distinct advantage over other dining establishments in the ongoing quest to attract more corporate guests to their tables.

Dinova's corporate clients, which include one-quarter of the country's highest-travel-spending firms, spend more than $1.5 billion on dining and/or catering annually. Dinova's nationwide network includes more than 10,000 independent and chain restaurants, encompassing all price levels and cuisines. Dinova will showcase its restaurant network and dining spend management services at booth # 2445 at the Global Business Travel Association conference in Los Angeles on July 26-30.

App Enhancements Provide Concise, Detailed Information on Dinova Network Restaurants

The enhanced app also benefits the corporate travel programs that work with Dinova to secure monthly rebates on their dining expenses. With the goal of steering more employees to Dinova network restaurants, the app's features put vital information at the fingertips of business travelers.  Dinova clients can now:

• Utilize "Nearby" Search Feature: Using GPS technology, users can quickly find Dinova network restaurants within close proximity to their current location.
• Search by Address: Business travelers typically seek out dining options near a corporate office or a client location. The enhanced app allows the user to plug in an address and locate preferred restaurants around the specified location.
• Obtain Driving Directions: When time is of the essence for business travelers, Dinova customers can plan the quickest route via the built-in mapping feature of the Dinova app.
• Access Restaurants' Websites: Interested in Italian vs. a seafood menu? Dinova travelers can now quickly access restaurants' websites to compare menus and specials.
• Make a Reservation: Users can make reservations for most restaurants via the Dinova app.

Research Shows Importance of Mobile Visibility for Restaurants Seeking Corporate Guests

xAd-Telmetrics reported in June that 89 percent of people using a mobile app to search for restaurants start that search with intent to purchase. Furthermore, the conversion rate (from mobile app search to actual purchase) is 80 percent for restaurant searches.

"Our network restaurants have consistently gained from marketing efforts that target travel managers, event planners and business travelers," said Vic Macchio, founder and CEO of Dinova. "This enhanced app arrives at the optimum time, with companies putting more travelers on the road and taking more pronounced steps to influence where their employees take clients and prospects out to eat. We look forward to featuring the enhanced mobile app to the 1500-plus travel managers at GBTA later this month."

ABOUT DINOVA:

Dinova LLC (www.dinova.com) connects restaurants and corporations in a nationwide network, driving valuable business dining to restaurants and enabling corporations to reduce travel and entertainment expenses.  Automation makes the process seamless to both diner and restaurateur, with no loyalty cards or key entries required. Dinova is headquartered in Johns Creek, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. 

SOURCE Dinova LLC