Food delivery technology

[Germonico]

I'm sure this is not new to some, but just experienced a fast food order/pick-up experience that just got me hooked."


Normally, I can walk into a major pizza chain and say "one pepperoni please." On a very rare occasion, they may not have a pepperoni and I may have to settle for a cheese if I don't want to wait. Anyway, decided to order "on-line" as I wanted to try their newest offering, but it was only being offered "hot and ready" after 4:00 pm and the current time was prior to noon. However, their website allowed me to order the new pizza offering, but had to pre-pay and use their pizza portal. Fifteen minutes later, I had the most positive experience ever with fast food.



To me, the pizza portal business model changes everything for me. I order on line, pay on line, drive less than a mile to the store front (unique to my situation), enter a code into their portal, retrieve my pizza, drive home in less than 5 minutes and enjoy one of the better tasting pizzas I've experienced, all without human interaction. Not sure what that says about me, but I think I found my newest permanent pizza source. The avoidance of human interaction was that rewarding! I think I'm doomed to a life of solitary.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Sounds great...except for the "pizza"! (Sorry, as a born-and-raised New Yorker, I am picky when it comes to pizza!)

A lot of restaurants in our area (including two local places that make really good pizza) use Cake or ToastTab or Olo...I think there are other, but basically sites that host their menus, prices, and take payment for them. Most don't even add a service charge; I guess the cost to the restaurant is low enough that they see it like a credit card surcharge, a cost of increasing their business. Anyway, I love picking up and not having to worry about payment, and I don't mind dealing with the hosts or cashiers for a few seconds. But I wouldn't mind kiosk pickup, either!

 

[Germonico]

You, a New Yorker, and I, a near Chicago based individual, you'd appreciate the pizza was thin crust and not the typical Chicago thick crust. Starting to think thin crust wins! It was a very good pizza!

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

You, a New Yorker, and I, a near Chicago based individual, you'd appreciate the pizza was thin crust and not the typical Chicago thick crust. Starting to think thin crust wins! It was a very good pizza!

Good to know! And full disclosure, when my kid (raised outside of NYC) declared their love for that tomato and cheese casserole that Chicagoans call pizza, I was wounded, but it did grow on me, and I learned to appreciate it...although I still cannot bring myself to call it "pizza" without the quotation marks!

 

[JoeWras]

What is this "portal"? Is it a trap door on the side of the building or something?

At Chipotle or Panera, they have shelves set up where people cruise in and grab a bag. There is an honor element to it. I wonder how many mistakes happen?

Anyway, you at least have to come inside and maybe make face contact with person or two.

 

[Germonico]

So the "portal" is probably a fancy name for a " secured warming oven" located inside the store.


As a comparison, I am not a Starbucks fan, but have observed their "pre-paid pick up counter" and have concluded it is totally an honor system. I could go in and take whatever order I wanted with no proof of purchase and be gone. The system I experienced seemed totally secure and unless someone guesses the 3 digit code I was assigned to my purchase, my order will be there when I arrive. Sorry you didn't understand the gest of my posting.

 

[braumeister]

I still cannot bring myself to call it "pizza" without the quotation marks!

Same goes for bagels, cheesecake, and pastrami sandwiches.

 

[JoeWras]

So the "portal" is probably a fancy name for a " secured warming oven" located inside the store.


As a comparison, I am not a Starbucks fan, but have observed their "pre-paid pick up counter" and have concluded it is totally an honor system. I could go in and take whatever order I wanted with no proof of purchase and be gone. The system I experienced seemed totally secure and unless someone guesses the 3 digit code I was assigned to my purchase, my order will be there when I arrive. Sorry you didn't understand the gest of my posting.

I was kind of joking, but also hoped you'd provide details about security and warming, which you did.

I like the idea of the code. I don't like the bag-on-shelf method.

 

[jazz4cash]

Pizza! Pizza!

 

[Ian S]

I also like the pizza portal! Although sometimes I arrive for pickup before it's out of the oven and then I just wait and they hand it to me directly without it going into the portal. I will often order their deep dish Detroit style pizza which is rectangular with caramelized cheese edges. Some may scoff but I find it really quite tasty and a bargain a well. Detroit style pizza: https://www.freep.com/in-depth/ente...0/detroit-style-pizza-restaurants/1772065001/

 

[Jerry1]

Not pizza, but I had a similar liking for Panera. When working, I could order on line, pay on line, then by the time I walked down to Panera (worked in a major building complex), my food was bagged and all I had to do was grab it and go. I loved it. No people, no waiting, could take any time a wanted to decide on my order . . . Did I say no people?

 

[Z3Dreamer]

How will all of this effect the economics of fast food stores and their employees?

Our local Pizza! Pizza! which had the automation, just closed. I think the reason they closed is Mrs. Z3 liked someone else's feta cheese spinach pizza.

 

[marko]

Why not just sit there in front of the TV and order home delivery?

 

[ckelly78z]

I generally don't care for the offerings of most chain pizza joints unless I can eat it hot on sight. By the time I can get it home (10 minute drive), and finally sit down with a drink, and start eating, it is getting cold, and leathery. We live in a rural area, so delivery can't happen. We do enjoy some of the specialty pizzas by local pizza/pubs that seem to have better crusts, and more sauce, better toppings.

I wish I could get authentic "Chicago style" deep dish pies around where I live.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I generally don't care for the offerings of most chain pizza joints unless I can eat it hot on sight. By the time I can get it home (10 minute drive), and finally sit down with a drink, and start eating, it is getting cold, and leathery. We live in a rural area, so delivery can't happen. We do enjoy some of the specialty pizzas by local pizza/pubs that seem to have better crusts, and more sauce, better toppings.

I wish I could get authentic "Chicago style" deep dish pies around where I live.

We did this one year, for the kid's birthday. It was pretty easy (set temp, set timer), and a big hit: https://ship.giordanos.com/

 

[jazz4cash]

Never heard of Detroit style pizza but it fits. I was introduced to Pizza! Pizza! on my very first night in Motown as an intern for Megamotors. What’s a guy to do with two whole pizzas? Make friends with the other interns! I was very surprised when they started opening on the east coast. It’s way down on my list.

 

[HFWR]

The “automat”...

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/meet-me-at-the-automat-47804151/

View attachment 32989

 

[ckelly78z]

We did this one year, for the kid's birthday. It was pretty easy (set temp, set timer), and a big hit: https://ship.giordanos.com/

We greatly enjoyed sitting in the original Giordonos in Chicago a few years ago, and enjoying a deep dish. We have ordered some of their frozen pizzas online, but just not quite the same when fixing at home, I can't get the crust to be edible (very hard).