Starbucks Developing “Mobile Ordering”

It can be frustrating to pull up to your favorite coffee shop and be confronted with a long line when you want to get your coffee and get back on the road. This is especially true here in LA, where a 5 or 10 minute delay in getting on with your commute can mean you’ll be spending an extra 30 minutes in traffic. Yesterday, CEO Howard Schultz confirmed plans to allow customers to place orders through Starbucks’s mobile app and pick them up later. That means that you will eventually be able to order and pay for you drink before you even arrive at Starbucks, so you just need to run in and out with your drink. The idea of “mobile ordering” is one that Starbucks has been talking about for some time, but this is the first time that they’ve confirmed it is in the works. While it might not be a must-have feature for regular drip coffee drinkers, it is a big plus for people who order food that needs to be prepared in some way before it is served. Since Starbucks is planning to continue to build its food options, there will be an increasing demand to cut down the wait times associated with ordering food, especially during busy morning commuting hours.