Image from RBI website

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) forged a regional partnership to leverage Ant Group's digital solutions to accelerate the digital transformation of its restaurant operations across Asia Pacific. RBI is one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies and the owner of Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes brands.

This deal further complements RBI's continuous efforts to support local franchisee operations and expansion in the Asia Pacific market.

Under the collaboration, Ant Group will work with RBI's local franchisees to implement a range of digital solutions, including mini-program Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions and Alipay+, a suite of global cross-border mobile payments and marketing solutions. The collaboration aims to enable a more convenient and seamless omnichannel experience for local diners and to uplift the restaurants' operational efficiency.

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Using SaaS solution, Ant Group will develop mini-programs for each of RBI's brands (Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes) adapted for each local market. Through the mini-program, RBI's local franchisees will be able to digitally integrate online and offline operations to drive increased efficiency and gain deeper operational insights. At the same time, diners will have access to expanded services, such as contactless menus and payments, online ordering for pickup or delivery, and scan-and-order function in-store, among others The mini-programs will also incorporate each RBI brand's existing loyalty program and provide additional digital marketing capabilities, like distribution of digital vouchers.

To help RBI's local restaurants to reach more local diners, the mini programs will be integrated into other local and regional digital platforms, including leading regional F&B tech startup Chope, and e-wallets in Southeast Asia.

The collaboration will also see RBI leveraging the Alipay+ solutions to allow more payment options to be accepted in-store, on websites, apps, and via the mini-programs. With the integration of Alipay+ solutions, RBI's operations will support payment options such as Touch 'n Go eWallet in Malaysia, True Money wallet in Thailand, GCash in the Philippines, Kakao Pay in South Korea, and many others.

This activation will take place across eight selected markets in Asia Pacific, and 1,500 restaurants across all three RBI brands.