Taco Bell Testing Mobile Smartphone Ordering; McDonalds And Chick-fil-A, Too

Because this is America and we refuse to wait for our food to be prepared in a reasonable timeframe, Taco Bell is obliging us by experimenting with taking orders via smartphones. A test program will launch within weeks, and nationwide rollout is expected before the end of the year, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

Taco Bell isn’t just implementing an existing solution, though; the company is building its own from scratch. The app will display different front-page enticements depending on the time of day, and although the (customizable) menu is front and center, users will be able to quickly find the nearest Taco Bell location. There will also be upsell opportunities suggested by the app, such as desserts and drinks.

Taco Bell mobile ordering
We want our various iterations of Doritos-flavored tacos EVEN FASTER

Users can pay with a credit card or via credit card through Taco Bell’s POS system, and it will show up at the restaurant as a mobile order. Then--and this is actually rather clever--the system uses GPS to track when the orderer is close by in order to time the order so that’s ready and hot when the user arrives. When the user gets to the Taco Bell, he can choose to pick it up inside or go through the drive-through using the app.

Unsurprisingly, Taco Bell is by no means the only chain looking at implementing mobile ordering. McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Smashburger, and Jersey Mike’s are working on similar solutions, while Chipotle is upgrading its mobile ordering to include mobile payment options.