Technology

Five Guys rolls out curbside tech

istock

December 9, 2020

Five Guys has launched a curbside and an in-store pick-up solution at its 1,600 locations. Partnering with Radius Networks, a location-based technology company, the chain is now using FlyBuy Pickup to track the arrival of customers and third-party delivery drivers as well as to make operational decisions to maximize food freshness and to minimize wait times, according to a company press release.

FlyBuy uses proprietary technologies to predict ETA and then alerts the restaurant when the customer or driver is within a certain radius of the restaurant, upon entrance to the property and when the customer has arrived in a virtual pick-up zone. In addition, Five Guys staff receives timely audio and visual alerts so they can time the food readiness with the arrival of the customer or delivery driver, according to the release.

Since the launch, the chain has reduced wait-time and congestion at the counter, curbside and at drive-up pickup windows, Zerrick Pearson, VP of Restaurant Technology at Five Guys, said in the release.

"Our staff and customers have met our new takeout technology with enthusiasm," he said. "Having visibility into the journey of both customers and delivery drivers is key for us to provide fresh fries and cold milkshakes quickly for to-go orders. It's hard to control the food freshness for takeout or delivery orders, but FlyBuy enables us to deliver the best to-go product possible."

Five Guys was established in 1986 in Arlington, Virginia, and opened its first franchised location in 2003.