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Can ordering fast food get even faster? In a busy and increasingly impatient world, standing in line or waiting at the drive-thru may eventually be replaced by text-messaging food orders.
Starting today, 31 Subway franchises in Southern California are rolling out a three-to-four-month pilot program where with just a few finger taps, customers will be able to order menu items like the turkey breast and black forest ham sub.
Here's how it works: Participating Subway restaurants in Los Angeles, San Diego, Bakersfield and Santa Barbara will get text message orders and in less time than it takes Jared to do 20 ab crunches, an automatic confirmation message will be sent back to customers, letting them know how long it will take for their meal request to be ready. If all goes right, a customer can then pick up their order without waiting in line.
"On the high end we're getting 25 to 30 orders a day," says Jeff Drucker, the president of Drucker Subway Inc, whose seven San Diego area franchises have already been using the texting technology for about seven months. "I'm confident that text messaging is the way that we'll be going."
Drucker was so encouraged by the results at his own stores that he helped convince other franchises to try it themselves. Surprisingly, he says one of its best uses is discouraging "phony food orders" from telephone pranksters. It also frees up employees from taking phone orders that are usually more time-consuming than texting.
While his text business has been most successful in business areas during lunchtime, orders have been slower in residential neighborhoods. That he believes will change when they begin promoting the service with local advertising. The franchises will also be able to send in-store promotions to customer cell phones.
The Southern California Subway restaurants are not the first to use mobile technology. Last January, a similar program called "Subway Now" was unveiled in New York City that allows customers to text message their orders and makes credit card purchases online. Pizza Hut, Papa Johns and McDonalds are among the other fast food companies that have already introduced text messaging in selective markets.
Text messaging food orders can have its downside. With credit card numbers left on file, there's potential for theft and identity fraud.
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1-20-2010 @3:11PM Matt said... WOW! Technology these days. That's cool. But the last thing America needs is to get lazier. lol The last thing i need is to get lazier.
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1-20-2010 @3:26PM willshak said... Yeah, standing in line would be better.
1-20-2010 @3:59PM Kate said... Subway Sandwiches are so subpar, the bloggers don't even use a photograph of one for this post. That's no SubWay sandwich because the bread in that photograph is far superior to the "fresh baked" tasteless stuff Subway uses. Blech.
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1-20-2010 @4:02PM John said... It's not the time it takes me to get waited on at SUBWAY. It's the turnover of their employees, I think the management continually fires & hires new employees because they don't want them to get to familiar with the clients and start making sandwiches with more of the meat, cheese etc., on them.
I kbew one of the employees quite well and she had to leave because they didn't pay enough wages to support herself and her child.
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1-20-2010 @5:33PM anne said... Bad idea. Because text messaging is a huge waste of time, it is hard on the fingers pressing these annoying tiny keys and they also cost a huge amount of money. It is in fact, throwing away money on these useless applications. Why even bother posting this worthless crap of an article in here? If I want to order something from Subway, I can do the simple two things... by phone or by computer!
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1-20-2010 @5:44PM Joe said... subway is a marketing company like McDonald's is a real estate company. let me know when either starts selling food.
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1-20-2010 @8:42PM JUDGE said... THATS ALL THE LAZY FAT ASSES NEED
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1-20-2010 @8:04PM rick said... personally i have never eaten at subway and have no intention ever to eat there....i only eat at family owned businesses...all the chains are foreign owned and dont give a crap if you ever come back....family owned businesses want their customers back so you get better food and better service
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1-21-2010 @7:23AM Aaron said... Hahaha, what? Subway may make crappy sandwiches, but they're an American business: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yum!_Brands
1-21-2010 @7:27AM Aaron said... My mistake, wrong link. The correct one is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subway_%28restaurant%29
My point still stands. Subway has terrible sandwiches and their headquarters is in CT ;)
1-30-2010 @12:18PM Ben said... Subway subs are pretty good and Subway is American company so have your facts wrong Rick next time you post Rick get it right. I like MIckey D's, Subway, Pizza Hut, Wendy's etc. Chains have good food so you don't know what you're talking about Rick as for family own business good for you that you like them I'm picky eater as long as they have hamburgers & fries then I would eat at the family own business. I like Chain places I think they have good stuff as I have said before and they do seem to care but you wouldn't know that Rick since I doubt you have ever eaten at a chain that serves food.
1-22-2010 @2:05PM Steven Ruza said... This is crazy... - Steven Ruza
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2-06-2010 @12:08AM Terry said... They should check out MyTango for text ordering instead. No credit cards on file. Secure ordering. Been in use in the San Francisco Bay Area for three years and processed tens of thousands of text message and online orders for local merchants like Pizza My Heart, Una Mas and Subway.
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