In a bid to make your morning caffeine fix more efficient, Starbucks is testing a new 538-square-foot pilot store on Wall Street that will use mobile technology to eliminate lines and long waits. According to Fast Company, instead of having the standard queue snaking around the pastry case, the Espresso Shot store features a barista equipped with a tablet ready to help you re-up on coffee as quickly as possible. With plans already in the works to roll out a mobile ordering system later this fall, Starbucks looks to break the speed barrier when it comes to delivering coffee. The next step seems to be the under-the-desk barista that Stephen Colbert has in his studio.
As restaurants and retailers continue to integrate mobile commerce into store design and layout in a bid to increase efficiency and profitability, we may begin to see more and more concepts like this being tested across the country. Many business writers have suggested that new ordering systems utilizing Apple Pay and other mobile pay technology will change store operations in the years to come. Currently, Starbucks has one open in New York, with plans to open four more in the next year.
· Starbucks Builds A Store With No Line [Fast Company]
· Previous Starbucks coverage [Curbed]
· Previous Restaurant Design coverage [Curbed]