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Order while you wait infrastructure at restaurants. Basically pull up the menu via wifi while waiting for your table to clear. Take the order, and maybe even pa

Order while you wait infrastructure at restaurants. Basically pull up the menu via wifi while waiting for your table to clear. Take the order, and maybe even pay ahead. Orchestrate the order so that the food is available shortly after you sit down. This lets the restaurant increase their profits by serving more parties through their tables at peak times - maybe 10-15 min per table that uses the order system. Some variant of this might also work for busy bars too.

ams6110 12y ago
The restaurant chain Chili's does something close to this at least where I live. There's a wireless device at each table where you can order as soon as you sit down. You can pay your check also so there's no waiting for the waiter to bring a paper check and you never have to give up posession of your credit card. They don't do while you wait ordering AFAIK. Well maybe they do if you "wait" in the bar!
kra34 12y ago
Already exists as well (more or less) http://www.paywithcover.com/ http://www.paywithcover.com/ New York http://www.tabbedout.com/ http://www.tabbedout.com/ Austin Open table is also doing it in select markets.
- digikata 12y ago
  Well, part of the thought was provide a no-internet-required embedded box, just wifi with no app to load, for the many restaurants that don't want to mess with more complexity.
darkstar999 12y ago
I've always had a funny lower-tech idea along the same lines. It's an airplane themed restaurant where each table has one of the service buttons that airplanes have. When you want a server to come by, hit the button. It lights up at the table and at the server station.
- shard 12y ago
  Korean restaurants typically have a service button per table that you can press to call the waitress.
- abrugsch 12y ago
  The Yo! Sushi chain in the UK does this. When you press the button, something on your table lights up and a cute (usually)Japanese-ish soundbite rings around the restaurant.

ams6110 12y ago

The restaurant chain Chili's does something close to this at least where I live. There's a wireless device at each table where you can order as soon as you sit down. You can pay your check also so there's no waiting for the waiter to bring a paper check and you never have to give up posession of your credit card. They don't do while you wait ordering AFAIK. Well maybe they do if you "wait" in the bar!

kra34 12y ago

Already exists as well (more or less) http://www.paywithcover.com/ http://www.paywithcover.com/ New York http://www.tabbedout.com/ http://www.tabbedout.com/ Austin Open table is also doing it in select markets.

digikata 12y ago
Well, part of the thought was provide a no-internet-required embedded box, just wifi with no app to load, for the many restaurants that don't want to mess with more complexity.

darkstar999 12y ago

I've always had a funny lower-tech idea along the same lines. It's an airplane themed restaurant where each table has one of the service buttons that airplanes have. When you want a server to come by, hit the button. It lights up at the table and at the server station.

shard 12y ago
Korean restaurants typically have a service button per table that you can press to call the waitress.
abrugsch 12y ago
The Yo! Sushi chain in the UK does this. When you press the button, something on your table lights up and a cute (usually)Japanese-ish soundbite rings around the restaurant.