I've said this a few times before but I'm fascinated by "invisible apps" that use existing, common channels as an interface (e.g. SMS, email) without creating a complex new UI. They have their pros and cons but in almost every case it gives makers an opportunity to test their idea in less time and with fewer technical dependencies.
Interesting service.
I was in the Philippines last year, and my cousin made an order to a takeout place via text. I went to go pick it up, not completely convinced that they would have the order ready. To my surprise they did receive the order :D
Looks like this could have/has all the benefits of an online-ordering system, but I think the SMS as UI makes it even better
@jabeuy Thanks for the comment! We really think that the mechanics of ordering a pizza is one of those things that should be delegated to the layer of computation that surrounds us these days. That is why we are excited about things like the iWatch. You could just speak your order to the watch which converts to text - we handle the rest!
Great idea @gregoleksiak! Do you plan to expand the service to other locations? Moreover I can imagine that the most difficult part is not convincing the user but the "pizza" ;-) makers. The benefit of an app-like implementation is that you can control what people will order. I am just interested how do you handle this?
@kouriskalligas@gregoleksiak Thanks for the question! Expansion is our #1 priority right now so stay tuned... At the beginning, we were worried about what customers would type into the service. Would the restaurant be able to fulfill the orders without reaching back out to the customers? Turns out, when people are ordering food for themselves, they are very careful what they type. Only 4% of our orders require intervention. Our take is that all of the strictness and formality of web/app ordering isn't worth it when you just want to order a pizza. My favorite stat is: In 2013, $7billion was spent on pickup & delivery at independent restaurants in the US... only 3% of those orders were electronic. Why? ...because it's still easier to call it in than filling out forms for your food!
Hi everyone. We built @eatabit because we think you should be able to chat with your restaurant to order rather than calling and waiting on hold or filling out forms on the web. Imagine ordering lunch as you walk to the restaurant via your Apple iWatch or dinner as you drive home hands-free through your in-car computer. Now you can. Our motto is: "Don't get between a person and their pizza!" Thoughts? -Greg
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