Taco Bell announced they will be releasing a new mobile ordering feature later this year, reports Nation's Restaurant News.
Although mobile ordering has been a common place for pizza joints and online delivery services, such as Seamless and GrubHub, Taco Bell looks to try and revolutionize the fast-food industry. Many think mobile ordering could be the next drive-thru for restaurants like Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Burger King.
The app will allow Taco Bell customers to order ahead of time and pick it up at their local restaurant. The company has been testing the app for two and a half years in select Orange County stores and will release it to select consumers within the coming weeks. Company officials expect the app to be released nationwide later this year.
Customers will be able to either use Taco Bell gift cards, or their own credit card. To make sure their food is hot, the app will use GPS to notice the Taco Bell employees that the customer is near and to start making the order.
"Mobile is the biggest shift in QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) since the drive thru," said Jeff Jenkins, mobile lead for Taco Bell, to NRN. "If you can get 10 million people to download your app, you're putting a portal to Taco Bell in 10 million pockets."
It will be interesting to see how the general public reacts when the app goes nation wide. Other QSRs, including McDonald's, have been testing mobile ordering in recent months, but it looks like Taco Bell will be the first "major" chain to roll out the service nationwide.
Well done, Taco Bell.
