Chipotle Wants to Speed Up With Mobile Payments
Chipotle plans to add mobile payments to its roster of services as part of a $10 million technology network redesign, with chief financial officer John Hartung noting the company has “a rough version” of a mobile payments service that employees can use. The app is intended to expedite transaction processing by making payments via a barcode scan or Bluetooth connection. “The primary benefits are customer convenience and allowing people to engage with us in another way,” says Chipotle’s Chris Arnold. “We’ll also be able to push offers or other messages to app users, which could certainly be a useful retention tool.” Chipotle is spending a few hundred dollars per restaurant to add mobile payments hardware, which is similar to the readers used at Starbucks establishments. In 2009 the restaurant chain rolled out an ordering app to enable customers to order and pay for meals ahead of time, which has been downloaded 3 million times. Chipotle co-CEO Steve Ells says the mobile payments initiative is not a gimmick, insisting the chain would not invest in mobile payments or similar enhancements that could potentially slow down throughput.
From “Chipotle Wants to Speed Up With Mobile Payments”
Bloomberg BusinessWeek (02/03/14) Wong, Vanessa