In another sign that the future is now, Chipotle is opening a digital-only restaurant that will only serve people ordering online.
Few things have been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic like the restaurant industry. More and more people now order online and either have their food delivered or use the drive-thru, never setting foot in the restaurant itself. Now Chipotle is the latest chain to rethink how they do things and the entire concept of a dining area.
In Chipotle’s case, their idea is to get rid of the dining area altogether and instead move everything to-go. With online ordering becoming more and more standard, who can blame them? Most Chipotle’s don’t have a drive-thru so thinking outside the box is a must.
Chipotle opens first digital-only restaurant
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As reported by Delish, later this week in Highland, New York, Chipotle will open their first of what will surely be many digital-only restaurants. The idea is that patrons can order online, thru the Chipotle app or a third-party delivery service and then pick up their food in person or have it delivered.
The new restaurant won’t have a dining area at all since the idea is that people will take their food to go. It is keeping with the idea of contactless service in order to keep the risk of getting sick to a minimum.
If the New York store is successful, the plan is to open more digital-only restaurants in other urban areas in the future. And why wouldn’t this idea be a hit? It is simply a natural extension of the direction the entire food service industry has been going. Chipotle joins Burger King and Taco Bell in rethinking how they do business in this brave new world and they won’t be the last.
Will things ever get back to normal? Probably at some point, but for now, get used to ideas like this. Online and digital ordering are now king and more chains will adapt the longer it goes on.
What do you think Chipotle fans? Do you like the idea of ordering online and picking up your food to go instead of dining in? Leave a comment below and share your opinion.