A GIANT in fast food has rolled out a system that cuts wait times in half, and it’s set to change the game.
Not only will the policy speed up the process for customers, it will also gift the chain a powerful advantage in the fast food wars.
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Competing chains are always looking to get a foothold over others, and Wingstop may have just made their most commanding bid yet.
Restaurant Business reports that the fast food company has come out with a new Smart Kitchen initiative that will dramatically improve speed of service.
It aims to half it in fact, from about 20 minutes to 10.
The system promises to revolutionize Wingstop’s business, given that typically, it would have a standard delivery quote time of about 30 to 40 minutes.
This would mean that Wingstop wouldn’t even show up in searches on platforms that allow guests to filter for delivery under 30 minutes.
Wingstop being able to rely on speedy deliveries would put them right up there with the biggest names in the sector.
Wingstop CEO Michael Skipworth said: “Being able to deliver on the speed expectation of the consumer of 10 minutes at lunch, and do it consistently, we think that’s a powerful unlock.
“It will put Wingstop in the consideration set for more occasions and ultimately will win more business from our guests.
“We see a lot of runway in front of us.”
HOW DOES IT WORK?
As a system, the new Smart Kitchens are not dissimilar to other digital kitchen display systems in restaurants today.
However, a few key differences set it apart.
The AI-driven machine-learning model collects hundreds of data points to forecast how much product each restaurant will need, down to 15-minute increments.
Data being collected includes things like weather, local sporting events, whether a school is nearby, all specific to that particular restaurant.
As the orders come in, graphics are used to indicate the number and the type of chicken needed in the fryers, for example.
The Smart Kitchen allows team members to swipe on the screen when a task is complete, like something out of a video game.
The screen also shows how an order should be packaged.
A sticker with order details spits out and can be slapped onto the bag, ready to go.
Before this, Wingstop was forced to use paper tickets, which could be difficult to read from.
SMART KITCHEN POPULARITY
Marisa Carona, senior vice president, chief U.S. franchise operations and development officer, says that Smart Kitchens are outperforming paper-ticket stores in every way.
She noted: “I’m getting phone calls every day from partners (franchisees) asking to be moved to the top of the rollout list.”
Smart Kitchens have been praised for their ingenuity, and how quickly team members are able to adapt to the system.
Fast Food meal deals
Here are some of the current value meals offered by popular fast food joints.
Taco Bell’s $7 Luxe Cravings Box:
- Chalupa Supreme
- Beefy Five-Layer Burrito
- Double Stacked Taco
- Chips and nacho cheese sauce
- Medium drink
McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal:
- McDouble or McChicken sandwich
- Four-piece Chicken McNuggets
- Small fries
- Small soft drink
Wendy’s $5 Biggie Bag:
- Junior Bacon Cheeseburger or Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Four-piece chicken nuggets
- Junior fries
- Small soft drink
Burger King’s $5 Your Way Meal:
- Whopper Junior, Chicken Junior, or Bacon Cheeseburger
- Fries
- Four-piece chicken nuggets
- Soft drink
This is helped by a quick instillation process, that is really no more than putting up a few screens.
Wingstop will be looking to capitalize on a couple years of double digit same-store sales increases.
However, this has slowed down due to economic uncertainty in its first quarter, a problem facing many in the fast food game, too.
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