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by MatthewPhillips 5499 days ago
I don't think The Melt is doing this right, but it could be useful. Let's say you ordered it from an app that sends the restaurant your GPS coordinates at the time of the order. It then continues to send your coordinates as you travel to the restaurant.

On their end their software computes an estimated arrival time allowing them to precisely time cooking to be fresh and ready for you to eat when you arrive.
1 comments
DanielStraight 5499 days ago
That makes a lot more sense. I still don't think I'd use it ("fast food isn't fast enough" is not a complaint I've ever made), but at least I can understand why someone would.
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hugh3 5499 days ago
"fast food isn't fast enough" is not a complaint I've ever made

Really? I just went down to Cheeseboard Pizza to get a slice, but the line was too long, so I went somewhere else. If I could have ordered and paid while I walked and then just picked it up when I got there, that would have been sweet.

Mind you, I'm pretty impatient.

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blasdel 5499 days ago
Just get their phone number and call ahead for takeout — it's pretty common here in Seattle even for places that don't deliver or even have a counter to order at.

There are some terrific sit-down restaurants that have tons of excess kitchen capacity.

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hugh3 5499 days ago
Heh, that'd never work at Cheeseboard. They make great pizza, actually, but:

a) They only make one type of pizza per day,

b) You stand in a line which always goes out the door in order to order it

c) Same line for eat-in or take-away.

They have a constant stream of pizzas coming out of the ovens and getting cut up. When you're standing in line all you're waiting for is for the guy at the front to find out how many slices everyone wants and to take their money.

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krakensden 5499 days ago
When they did their big remodel, they really should have added space for a second cashier.
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matwood 5499 days ago
I think you're right in a traditional fast food sense (McDs, Wendy's, etc...), but there are a lot of sorta fast food restaurants around now. I'm thinking a Chipotle, Noodles, Panera type of business their customers could make use of ordering from a phone.
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Johngibb 5496 days ago
Chipotle already has an app that lets you order your burrito directly, pay from the phone, and skip the line to pick it up.
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