Chick-fil-A will now let guests order from their mobile phone—while sitting at the table.
The Atlanta-based chain on Thursday said it has introduced “dine-in mobile ordering” at participating restaurants nationwide.
Customers can order their meal through the Chick-fil-A app and have it delivered directly to the table. Customers place their order and choose “dine-in,” find a table and tap their smartphone to a table number. Once ready, an employee will deliver the food.
“This technology will be particularly helpful for busy parents who can now head straight into the restaurant and have their meal brought to their table at their convenience without waiting in line,” Khalilah Cooper, Chick-fil-A’s director of service and hospitality, said in a statement.
While the move seemingly goes against the grain—customers are increasingly ordering takeout, after all—Chick-fil-A’s mobile-ordering dine-in technology is coming as more of its competitors are adding things like kiosks inside of their restaurants.
The fast-growing chicken sandwich chain integrated near-field communication technology into its table numbers, enabling customers to tap their phone to the table number to check in.
That shows that Chick-fil-A is integrating digital in its overall restaurant design. “As we continue to grow and evolve Chick-fil-A’s digital experience, we’re focused on how the design of the physical restaurant environment can make the ordering and meal fulfillment journey even more seamless and enjoyable,” Cooper said.
Chick-fil-A began testing dine-in mobile ordering at 80 locations in various markets last year. The company said that 92% of customers who used the service found it “appealing” due to ease and convenience.
The service was particularly popular among large parties with children, the company said.
Chick-fil-A generated more than $10 billion in revenue last year, making it one of the five largest restaurant chains in the U.S., where it has more than 2,400 locations.
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