Popular Fast Food Chain Introduces Mobile Application

Whether you’re a chef, a restaurant employee, a student of a culinary arts program or just flat out have a vested interest in the food community, it’s impossible not to notice that the world of restaurants and hospitality is becoming increasingly digital. The latest in a growing number of businesses to develop their own technological presence, Taco Bell announced on Oct. 28, 2014 that they had developed a mobile application for use on patrons’ smartphones, according to USA Today. While the application has been released, it seems fair to assume that it will be updated and honed for quality based on consumer feedback as time moves on. In the interim, though, take a look at a few of the details surrounding the story:

What it does
The application, unlike many that have been revealed by competitors in the fast food space, is not intended to serve as a way have food delivered to your residence or location by restaurant employees. Rather, it acts as something of a ‘heads-up’ for both restaurant employees and consumers. The program allows customers to place their orders ahead of time, customizing their food however they see fit by adding or omitting ingredients from a digital list. According to CNN Money, however, it does not allow the consumer to set a pick up time for their order. Instead, it notifies both the consumer and the restaurant staff when the customer moves within 500 feet of the restaurant.  The application then prompts the potential buyer by asking them if they’d like to have their order started. In this way, the app reduces wait time for the purchaser while also providing a running queue of advanced orders for the cooks on staff.

Competition
Initial feedback to Taco Bell’s application has been largely positive, though many have asked if there’s truly a point, considering that all the app really does is offer a head start. Whether or not this is the most effective way for fans of the Mexican food to be ordering their dishes, it may simply be a move by the franchise to stay current in a world of stark competition. Indeed, these applications are popping up all over; Starbucks has announced an upcoming debut of a digital ordering app, while Wendy’s has been using mobile payment systems for some time.