It’s already the meal you turn to when you’re looking to expend as little effort as possible, and now pizza chains across the U.S. — and the U.K. — are looking to simplify the process to purchase a pie. The latest innovation comes from Little Caesars, which on Monday introduced its new Reserve-N-Ready service. The key to the service is a device known as the Pizza Portal, which is being heralded as the first heated, self-service mobile order pickup station in the fast-food industry.
So what does this mean for you? In essence, you can now get your pizza without ever interacting with another person. Just download Little Caesar’s app and pay for your order. You’ll then get a three-digit or QR code sent to your phone. Once you make your way to a Little Caesar’s location, you’ll simply need to enter or scan your code and open up the self-service Pizza Portal, grab your pie, and be on your merry way.
Currently, the Reserve-N-Ready system is being tested in select stores, but the pizza chain promises that it will expand to other markets throughout 2017.
While some easy-ordering methods from other pizza chains have certain limitations on the kind of pie you can order, just about anything from Little Caesars, its app, and its Pizza Portal is included in this service. “The genuine purpose behind integrating advanced technology into our stores is all about improving the customer experience, and building on our convenience and quality,” said David Scrivano, president and CEO of Little Caesars.
Ultimately, the pizza chain notes, the goal is to make buying and eating pizza easier than ever, and the “breakthrough Pizza Portal has the potential” to do just that.
Automation is becoming increasingly ubiquitous throughout the restaurant industry, with some food service providers even looking to replace their waitstaff with robots (though not always with the most successful results). But when it comes down to it, Scrivano told USA Today, the point isn’t to get rid of human employees, but rather to boost efficiency. The executive noted: “It’s all about convenience. In and out in seconds. No line. No wait.”
