The popularity of Starbucks’ mobile ordering and pay app hampered sales last quarter, but the coffee giant isn’t likely to be the only restaurant chain that will stumble as it adopts the promising technology.
Mobile order and pay apps promise more convenience for customers and restaurant staff alike. However, few chains are equipped to deal with patrons speeding through the checkout.
For Starbucks, mobile transactions spiked throughout its U.S. stores last quarter, with 1,200 of its locations experiencing a 20 percent jump in mobile pay and ordering during peak hours. The company disclosed that the increase in user volume and crowding at pickup stations caused incoming customers to leave without making purchases.
Starbucks has begun brainstorming its own solutions to ease the bottlenecking, but restaurant analysts and consultants have their own suggestions.
