News

Eatsa launches pick-up system to alleviate bottlenecks caused by mobile orders

January 10, 2019

In hopes of addressing the operational challenges facing restaurants stemming from the rise of digital ordering and third-party delivery, San Francisco-based Eatsa has launched the Spotlight Pickup System.

"Third-party delivery is often the biggest growth opportunity for restaurant operators, but with the lack of organization around how to best manage customers and delivery personnel who are taking food to go, it's frequently fraught with confusion and delays for customers and chaos for operators," Eatsa CEO Tim Young, said in a company press release. "Our Spotlight Pickup System alleviates this problem with a combination of automation and personalization as well as offering an engaging and fun way for brands to simplify the experience and guide their guests efficiently through the pickup process. We are thrilled to bring this product to restaurants to address this important challenge."

Eatsa, which not only designed the platform but is also a restaurant that opened in 2015, has selected three restaurant brands to help test the technology. They include a build-your-own mac & cheese restaurant, Mac'd in San Francisco; a gourmet-salad-to-go restaurant, Evergreens in Seattle, and Wow Bao in Chicago.

"Our customers value quick and efficient service, and the Spotlight Pickup System optimizes the pickup process, reducing confusion over order status and where to go," said Antony Bello, co-Founder of Mac'd in San Francisco. "When considering eatsa's technology, it was critical for us to have the ability to customize it to fit both our space needs in the restaurant and our brand standards for how we communicate with our guests. We were able to install the Spotlight Pickup System overnight and it fits seamlessly into our restaurant design. The added benefit is it's very fun and engaging for our customers. I've seen many smiles as they easily find their order and are able to go about their busy day."

How it works
The Spotlight Pickup System, an alternative to Eatsa's Cubby Pickup System, helps alleviate overcrowding and bottlenecks often caused by mobile ordering and third-party delivery, Young said.  Upon arriving at the restaurant, each customer or delivery driver checks the digital status board to quickly understand the status of their order, and are then guided to their pickup ‘Spot' where the customer's name is clearly highlighted on the front display.

The system has a modular design that's quick to install and easy to customize in order to fit into existing restaurant layouts without construction or downtime, according to the release. It includes automated surfaces called 'spots, each equipped with product sensors, a toplight for status indication and a front display for customized digital messaging.

It also integrates with ordering and order management solutions to orchestrate the hand-off process, eliminating confusion, reducing error, and providing operational and consumer data and analytics, according to the release.