Non-sequential restaurant order system and method
Systems and restaurant locations for use with a mobile ordering system, and methods thereof, to provide at least more time-efficient pick up of orders by customers than with traditional ordering and pick up windows.
1. A method for non-sequentially providing to customers pre-orders, the method comprising:
receiving, at a data processor, provisional input from the customer comprising: (i) menu selections, (ii) desired order completion time, or (iii) some combination thereof;
obtaining a set of production timing and slip logic (PTSL) rules for generating a dynamic position in a queue as a function of PTSL inputs comprising: (i) current order details, (ii) a current order queue, (iii) configurable variables comprising make time per menu item, or (iv) some combination thereof;
applying, by the data processor, the PTSL rules to calculate a provisional order completion time, where the current order details-comprise at least some of the provisional input from the customer;
accepting second input from the customer, wherein the second input comprises an order;
applying the PTSL rules to: (a) generate an order fire time and (b) assign the order a dynamic position-in a production queue, wherein the current order details comprise at least some details of the order accepted from the customer;
generating a promised order pick up time from values comprising: (i) the dynamic position of the order in the production queue, (ii) the order fire time, or (iii) some combination thereof; and
when at least one event from a list of events occurs, updating the dynamic position in the production queue, while preserving the promised order pick up time, by applying at least a subset of the PTSL rules, the list of events comprising: update of production status of an order in the production queue, insertion of a new order into the production queue, or some combination thereof.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the order comprises customization information comprising one or more selections by the customer of entrée options.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the order further comprises the number of guests associated with the order, and comprises at least one of: food selections, beverage selections, or some combination thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving additional input comprises at least one of: the customer's location, travel time from the customer's location, estimated arrival time of customer at the restaurant, or some combination thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing feedback to a computing device of the customer, wherein the feedback comprises information regarding menu items that are calculated, using the PTSL rules, to be capable of being ready within a window of time of the customer's estimated arrival time.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the customer places the order from a public location via an interface which provides a list of restaurants from a certain geographical region, and facilitates the customer entering inputs to a restaurant the customer selects from the list.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a completed order is placed in a physical queue in an order pick up area inside the restaurant building, the order pick up area being configured only for pick up of pre-paid orders, and the order pick up area comprising at least one order pick up window.
8. A system comprising:
a memory storing instructions;
a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:
receive, at a data processor, provisional input from the customer comprising: (i) menu selections, (ii) desired order completion time, or (iii) some combination thereof;
obtain a set of production timing and slip logic (PTSL) rules for generating a dynamic position in a queue as a function of PTSL inputs comprising: (i) current order details, (ii) a current order queue, (iii) configurable variables comprising make time per menu item, or (iv) some combination thereof;
apply, by the data processor, the PTSL rules to calculate a provisional order completion time, where the current order details-comprise at least some of the provisional input from the customer;
accept second input from the customer, wherein the second input comprises an order;
apply the PTSL rules to: (a) generate an order fire time and (b) assign the order a dynamic position-in a production queue, where the current order details comprise at least some details of the order accepted from the customer;
generate a promised order pick up time from values comprising: (i) the dynamic position of the order in the production queue, (ii) the order fire time, or (iii) some combination thereof; and
when at least one event from a list of events occurs, update the dynamic position in the production queue, while preserving the promised order pick up time, by applying at least a subset of the PTSL rules, the list of events comprising: update of production status of an order in the production queue, insertion of a new order into the production queue, or some combination thereof.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the order comprises customization information comprising one or more selections by the customer of entrée options.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the order further comprises the number of guests associated with the order, and comprises at least one of: food selections, beverage selections, or some combination thereof.
11. The system of claim 8 , further comprising receiving additional input comprises at least one of: the customer's location, travel time from the customer's location, estimated arrival time of customer at the restaurant, or some combination thereof.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor provides feedback to a computing device of the customer, wherein the feedback comprises information regarding menu items that are calculated, using the PTSL rules, to be capable of being ready within a window of time of the customer's estimated arrival time.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the customer places the order from a public location via an interface which provides a list of restaurants from a certain geographical region, and facilitates the customer entering inputs to a restaurant the customer selects from the list.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein a completed order is placed in a physical queue in an order pick up area inside the restaurant building, the order pick up area being configured only for pick up of pre-paid orders, and the order pick up area comprising at least one order pick up window.
15. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:
receive, at a data processor, provisional input from the customer comprising: (i) menu selections, (ii) desired order completion time, or (iii) some combination thereof;
obtain a set of production timing and slip logic (PTSL) rules for generating a dynamic position in a queue as a function of PTSL inputs comprising: (i) current order details, (ii) a current order queue, (iii) configurable variables comprising make time per menu item, or (iv) some combination thereof;
apply, by the data processor, the PTSL rules to calculate a provisional order completion time, where the current order details-comprise at least some of the provisional input from the customer;
accept second input from the customer, wherein the second input comprises an order;
apply the PTSL rules to: (a) generate an order fire time and (b) assign the order a dynamic position-in a production queue, where the current order details comprise at least some details of the order accepted from the customer;
generate a promised order pick up time from values comprising: (i) the dynamic position of the order in the production queue, (ii) the order fire time, or (iii) some combination thereof; and
when at least one event from a list of events occurs, update the dynamic position in the production queue, while preserving the promised order pick up time, by applying at least a subset of the PTSL rules, the list of events comprising: update of production status of an order in the production queue, insertion of a new order into the production queue, or some combination thereof.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the order comprises customization information comprising one or more selections by the customer of entrée options.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the order further comprises the number of guests associated with the order, and comprises at least one of: food selections, beverage selections, or some combination thereof.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising receiving additional input comprises at least one of: the customer's location, travel time from the customer's location, estimated arrival time of customer at the restaurant, or some combination thereof.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the processor provides feedback to a computing device of the customer, wherein the feedback comprises information regarding menu items that are calculated, using the PTSL rules, to be capable of being ready within a window of time of the customer's estimated arrival time.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the customer places the order from a public location via an interface which provides a list of restaurants from a certain geographical region, and facilitates the customer entering inputs to a restaurant the customer selects from the list.