Methods and apparatus for facilitation of orders of food items
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques which aid in correctly capturing what a restaurant customer intends to order, and may enhance the customer's satisfaction with the ordering and dining process overall. For example, an interface may be provided through which a customer may specify an order, and the interface may clearly convey such information as each ordered item's ingredients and nutritional content. The interface may enable the customer to customize ordered items, and may clearly convey any changes that the customer has made, allowing the customer to make informed choices about the items included in an order. The interface may embody a design which enables the customer to quickly and easily customize items, and/or to re-order previously customized items.
1. A method for facilitating an order of a food item by a customer, comprising acts of:
(A) causing a plurality of images each representing an ingredient of the food item to be displayed to the customer via a screen interface;
(B) receiving input from the customer specifying a change to the food item; and
(C) in response to receiving the input in the act (B):
(C1) determining that the specified change comprises including in the food item a first ingredient having first physical dimensions instead of a second ingredient having second physical dimensions different than the first physical dimensions;
(C2) in response to the determining, causing one or more of the plurality of images on the screen interface to be re-scaled and/or rearranged to reflect the specified change; and
wherein the act (A) comprises causing the plurality of images to be displayed via a customer-facing screen interface at a cashier's station, and the act (C) comprises causing the one or more re-scaled and/or rearranged images to be displayed at the customer-facing screen interface at the cashier's station.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving input specifying a manner in which the food item is to be prepared, and wherein the act (C) comprises causing the at least some of the plurality of images to be modified to reflect the specified manner of preparation.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act (A) comprises causing a list to be displayed of the food item's ingredients, and the act (C) comprises causing a modified list to be displayed, the modified list reflecting the specified change to the at least one ingredient of the food item.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving input specifying an addition to and/or a subtraction from the food item's ingredients, and the act (C) comprises causing a modified list to be displayed which reflects the addition and/or subtraction via text formatting.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act (A) comprises causing information on the food item's nutritional content to be displayed, and the act (C) comprises causing modified information on the item's nutritional content to be displayed, the modified information reflecting the specified change.
6. At least one storage device having encoded thereon instructions which, when executed, cause a computer system to perform a method for facilitating an order of a food item by a customer, the method comprising acts of:
(A) causing a plurality of images each representing an ingredient of the food item to be displayed to the customer via a screen interface;
(B) receiving input from the customer specifying a change to the food item; and
(C) in response to receiving the input in the act (B):
(C1) determining that the specified change comprises including in the food item a first ingredient having first physical dimensions instead of a second ingredient having second physical dimensions different than the first physical dimensions;
(C2) in response to the determining, causing one or more of the plurality of images on the screen interface to be re-scaled and/or rearranged to reflect the specified change; and
wherein the act (A) comprises causing the plurality of images to be displayed via a customer-facing screen interface at a cashier's station, and the act (C) comprises causing the one or more re-scaled and/or rearranged images to be displayed at the customer-facing screen interface at the cashier's station.
7. The at least one storage device of claim 6 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving input specifying a manner in which the food item is to be prepared, and wherein the act (C) comprises causing the at least some of the plurality of images to be modified to reflect the specified manner of preparation.
8. The at least one storage device of claim 6 , wherein the act (A) comprises causing a list to be displayed of the food item's ingredients, and the act (C) comprises causing a modified list to be displayed, the modified list reflecting the specified change to the at least one ingredient of the food item.
9. The at least one storage device of claim 8 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving input specifying an addition to and/or a subtraction from the food item's ingredients, and the act (C) comprises causing a modified list to be displayed which reflects the addition and/or subtraction via text formatting.
10. The at least one storage device of claim 6 , wherein the act (A) comprises causing information on the food item's nutritional content to be displayed, and the act (C) comprises causing modified information on the item's nutritional content to be displayed, the modified information reflecting the specified change.
11. A computer system for use in facilitating an order of a food item in a restaurant, the computer system comprising:
at least one storage device having instructions stored thereon;
a customer-facing screen interface at a cashier's station in the restaurant; and
at least one computer processor, programmed via the instructions to;
cause a plurality of images each representing an ingredient of a food item to be displayed to a customer via a screen interface;
receive input from the customer specifying a change to the food item; and
in response to receiving the input:
determine that the specified change comprises including in the food item a first ingredient having first physical dimensions instead of a second ingredient having second physical dimensions different than the first physical dimensions;
in response to the determining, cause one or more of the plurality of images on the screen interface to be re-scaled and/or rearranged to reflect the specified change;
wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause the plurality of images to be displayed via a customer-facing screen interface at a cashier's station, and to cause the one or more re-scaled and/or rearranged images to be displayed at the customer-facing screen interface at the cashier's station.
12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to receive input specifying a manner in which the food item is to be prepared, and to cause the at least some of the plurality of images to be modified in response to receiving the input to reflect the specified manner of preparation.
13. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause a list to be displayed of the food item's ingredients, and to cause a modified list to be displayed in response to receiving the input, the modified list reflecting the specified change to the at least one ingredient of the food item.
14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to receive input specifying an addition to and/or a subtraction from the food item's ingredients, and to cause a modified list to be displayed in response to receiving the input, the modified list reflecting the addition and/or subtraction via text formatting.
15. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to cause information on the food item's nutritional content to be displayed, and to cause modified information on the item's nutritional content to be displayed in response to receiving the input, the modified information reflecting the specified change.