Grubhub today announced the launch of its own proprietary tech platform for pickup orders. According to a press release, the system connects the front and back of house to give diners and restaurant staff real-time views on their order status. It also integrates all ordering channels into a single ticket stream.
Dubbed Ultimate, the platform is a hardware-software combination is made up of four main components: A POS system that integrates directly into the Grubhub website and app; a customer-facing display system that shows an order status throughout its different stages; a kitchen display system; and in-store self-service kiosks.
For now, Ultimate is focused specifically on pickup orders. Once a users places an order — whether with a cashier, online, or via one of the kiosks — they can see their order status in a digital queue displayed in the app and on the digital boards in the front of house. Delivery drivers pickup up orders can also utilize the queue to better time when they pick up their customers’ orders. According to the press release, the back-of-house displays show the exact same queue.
“Most people do not want to order in person or by calling if they have an alternative, and by integrating pickup with delivery orders our restaurant partners have a complete picture to more efficiently manage their operations,” Grubhub’s CEO Matt Maloney said in a statement.
Integrating the front and back of house and streamlining the order process for customers are huge priorities right now for restaurants right now. Tech platforms like Brightloom, who recently inked a massive deal with Starbucks, have already been pushing solutions to restaurants that address faster, more accurate digital ordering. Grubhub, however, is the first delivery company to bring its own system to market instead of licensing tech from a third party.
Importantly, the press release mentions the role this technology could play in non-restaurant settings like food halls and stadiums: “Instead of standing in never-ending lines, sports fans and concert-goers can order ahead directly from their seat via Grubhub, watching their place from the in-app queue for the exact moment the order is ready.” That’s something Grubhub rival Postmates is already trying, as is a company called WaitTime, which uses cameras and AI to basically function like the Waze for concession stands.
While there are no baseball or football stadiums on its roster yet, Ultimate is already on the market. The system is currently in pilot stage at over 100 locations across NYC and Grubhub’s hometown Chicago.
Source: thespoon.tech
