No, you do it.

  Someone called me for a meeting about a new app they're developing as they wanted my input as someone who has all sorts of experience in the food industry.

It's an interesting idea and I noticed I'm really torn about how I feel about it.

  At the moment the responsibility of hiring staff to field questions from indecisive customers, take their orders, then ring everything up and present a bill falls to the owner of the establishment. There is no pressure on the customer to make that process an easier one. They can ask the daftest questions then hum and haw while they ponder whether to go for the fish or the chicken. In a busy establishment, all the server can do is hover patiently like someone hopping from foot to foot outside a toilet.

The Houston spelling team

  The idea of the app is that instead of pestering waiting staff and wasting their time, (and therefore the time and money of the establishment), the customer is able to peruse the menu in advance, make note of any specials and even, (and here's the extremely clever bit), text the place to ask things like if they can have it gluten free or with extra beetroot or whatever and then place their order before they've even arrived.

  As well as speeding up the ordering there are all sorts of extra features such as having it linked to your preferred payment method so that's just taken care of; you can have a loyalty system set up so if you're regularly ordering coffee from the same place the app automatically rewards you and as with everything else, it's location sensitive so as you stroll towards the buzzing herd of food trucks you'd be able to see who's there, look at their menu, order and pay then simply walk up and collect it when your order is ready . 

  It's only in the early stages of development, (though a few establishments have already started using it), so it will probably evolve over time but it manages to fill me with dread and joy at the same time. I guess time will tell if it dehumanises the food experience or merely streamlines it cos I think that's what I'm worried about. It's not designed for every restaurant. Definitely not for the fancy joints but it's best suited to high turnover cafes, coffee shops, food trucks and could make the whole process much easier for everyone on both sides of the transaction. Watch this space because you can be absolutely sure I'll be keeping you posted about this one. You never know, you may be hearing it here first.

  

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Kirk out

RevoltingFood.com