Taco Bell gives new meaning to ‘fast-food’ with mobile ordering

Fast food is popular in our fast-paced society, but even these days walking into your local chain can take much longer than expected.

So, later this year Taco Bell will release a mobile ordering system to the public which is expected to speed up the process.

The custom-built app has been under construction for over two years and has recently been tested out at five locations in Orange County, CA. In a few weeks a handful of consumers will begin testing to work out some kinks in the app.

According to Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN), other notable chains such as McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A are also testing mobile apps. Even Starbucks is directing its energy into mobile and digital development.

When using the app, a customer will be able to view the menu and can pick the closest Taco Bell location. Then he or she can customize the order and even save it for next time.

Worried that your meal will be cold by the time you arrive?

The system uses GPS technology to recognize when the customer is near so the Taco Bell can start up the order and ensure freshness.

They can even pay directly from their phone with a credit or gift card.

Lastly the guest can choose to pick up the order in-store or via drive-thru.

Even though it may be challenging to keep up with in-store customers and mobile orders during the peak hours, NRN reports that Taco Bell’s mobile leader, Jeff Jenkins, thinks it may actually promote speedier orders by eliminating some of the hesitation that comes along with staring at the menu and deciding what to eat. It can also help eradicate miscommunications that come along with verbal ordering.

Taco Bell already has a mobile app, but it does not include these ordering features.