Wipe that sauce off of your fingers before you order another basket of wings, hot-sauce hounds, because you’ll need to pick up that iPad off of your table to place your order at Buffalo Wild Wings. And eat a little of the celery that came with it too – chances are you could stand to eat a vegetable or two!
Nestled in a rugged case from integrator Hubworks, the 9.7-in. iPad is being tested for customers to make food and drink orders from their tables. They can also use the tablets to jump online to check out Facebook, Twitter and play interactive games.
The 830-store Buffalo Wild Wings chain is about to launch a second phase of the iPad pilot program at a Minneapolis location after working out technical kinks at a suburban Toronto site, said Tim Murphy, director of international business for the chain.
“Ultimately, we are trying to use the technology to enhance the customer experience,” Murphy said. “People are familiar with iPads, iPhones and Android tablets, so this would enhance that.”
The chain is still deciding on whether to combine ordering from the device with entertainment uses. If it decides entertainment is an option, it might sell advertising on the tablets, and license popular games, or even design custom built games molded to its brand and audience.
It’s not expected that the devices will replace waiters. The line of thinking is that if customers use the devices to order their food, the wait staff will be freed up to do more important things, like interact with the customers, and promote specials on food and drink, or live trivia games.
Hubworks includes a charging capability and credit card reader in the rugged case, and has enhanced battery efficiency so that a single unit can last up to 12 to 15 hours before being placed in a charging dock, Murphy said.
No word yet on whether customers will be allowed to use the devices to personally affect the outcome of professional sporting events.