California Fish Grill: Accelerating Digital Seafood Dining with unPLUG
Introduction
California Fish Grill, a beloved fast-casual brand serving sustainably sourced seafood, set out on an ambitious journey to redefine its guest experience through digital innovation. In partnership with unPLUG, the brand transformed its online presence and loyalty engagement model to meet the evolving expectations of modern diners. The result: a scalable, e-commerce-first platform that seamlessly integrates web, mobile, and community-driven engagement.
E-Commerce First: Revamping cafishgrill.com
The transformation began with a full revamp of cafishgrill.com. The site was redesigned with an e-commerce-first philosophy, ensuring the ordering experience was front and center. A cornerstone of the redesign was the ability to deeplink guests directly into the mobile app, offering a best-in-class ordering flow with a frictionless path to purchase. By aligning the website and app, California Fish Grill eliminated barriers and created a seamless omnichannel gues...
Engagement Through Fin Crowd CRM
To strengthen relationships with its dense and loyal customer base, California Fish Grill leveraged Fin Crowd CRM for targeted engagement. Personalized campaigns increased awareness, nurtured stronger connections, and enabled the brand to activate guests with tailored offers. Over the course of the year, this CRM-driven strategy fueled exponential growth in the loyalty pool and amplified digital campaign performance.
App Expansion & Continuous Optimization
Beyond the website, the digital transformation emphasized app adoption and usability. By continuously iterating on features and refining user experience, the app became a powerful hub for repeat engagement. Signed-in users quickly became the backbone of the channel, generating significantly higher order frequency compared to guest checkouts. This data-driven iteration cycle ensured that the platform grew alongside the brand’s needs, delivering both operational efficiency and custo...
Community Engagement: Fundraisers & Giving Back
Technology was not the only focus. California Fish Grill extended its digital-first approach into the community, integrating fundraisers such as No Kid Hungry directly into its ordering journey. With over 30,000 donations made to date, these initiatives reinforced the brand’s identity as a socially responsible leader in fast-casual dining while deepening emotional connections with its guests.
Year-to-Date Results
year-over-year growth
increase in orders through the app
new CRM members in one year
of all orders placed by signed-in users
higher for signed-in users
users grown from zero in a single year
growth driven by habits, not discounts
contributions to No Kid Hungry
“By transforming cafishgrill.com into an e-commerce-first platform and integrating it with our loyalty ecosystem, we’ve unlocked sustained growth while deepening our community ties. unPLUG has given us the technology and insights to scale with confidence.”
— CMO, California Fish Grill
Conclusion
California Fish Grill’s end-to-end strategy — spanning web, mobile, CRM, and community — positions the brand as a leader in digital-first hospitality. By elevating the online experience, building personalized engagement channels, and reinforcing social impact, the brand set a new standard for fast-casual dining innovation. With unPLUG’s platform as its foundation, California Fish Grill is charting a course for sustained growth, loyalty, and guest connection in the digital era.
