Olo and Google are teaming up to make online ordering faster and more seamless. The companies have announced a new partnership that enables customers to order directly from restaurants via Google Search, Maps, and the Google Assistant.

 

The integration allows customers searching for any of the more than 70,000 restaurant brand locations in Olo’s network to order from Google’s interface without downloading an additional app or visiting an additional web site. With the announcement, Olo is now the largest digital ordering platform to leverage Google’s new feature.

 

“Search is increasingly becoming the path to purchase in the restaurant space and we are thrilled to team up with Google to make ordering easy while allowing restaurants to own the digital relationship with their guests,” says Noah Glass, founder and chief executive officer of Olo. “Any consumer searching for a restaurant brand should have easy options to order from the restaurant directly with as few clicks as possible, which is what this integration enables.”

 

Frictionless ordering through the world’s most popular search engine can be a big advantage for food service operators. Restaurants already are one of the most commonly searched for industries. And with off-premise business growing at double-digit rates, direct-to-consumer capabilities may prove more cost effective than third-party delivery partnerships.

 

The announcement also reflects Google’s further expansion into the restaurant space. The company, which has been acquiring reviews faster than Yelp and other review platforms, recently added star rating and menu recommendation features.