El Pollo Loco Adds GPS Technology for Curbside Pickup
El Pollo Loco expands its digital platform with FlyBuy curbside pickup technology to automate and enhance the order pickup process.
This news comes on the heels of El Pollo Loco relaunching its loyalty program.
With off-premise ordering up nearly 200%, El Pollo Loco realized that a manual solution to manage curbside pickup would not work for the long term. Knowing when each customer is essential for optimizing the curbside pickup experience for guests and staff.
FlyBuy Pickup enables El Pollo Loco to:
- Accurately predict the arrival time of customers using GPS technology
- Automatically notify staff when the customer is on the way, nearby, and on property
- Precisely locate customer in the parking lot or in-store
- Promptly deliver the customer’s order to the curb immediately upon arrival
Speed of service matters in curbside. Customers who wait under two minutes for an order are four times more likely to repeat purchase from the same retailer or restaurant, according to the new Rakuten Ready 2020 Time Study.
Meet Us at Restaurant Next
At Restaurant Next, Andy Rebhun, El Pollo Loco's VP of Digital, gave attendees the inside scoop on its recent tech initiatives, including its updated loyalty program, Loco Rewards. Plus, learn what Rebhun says is key when rolling out new tech initiatives. All content from the event is now in the Restaurant Next Highlight Hub here on hospitalitytech.com.
“Eliminating wait time for our order-ahead customers, has been top of mind for El Pollo Loco,” said Andy Rebhun, VP Digital at El Pollo Loco. “The fact that a customer can enjoy their order as fast and fresh as they would receive it when dining in, shows how incredibly robust the FlyBuy Pickup program is. Curbside pickup isn’t going anywhere, and FlyBuy is key for us today.”
Digital Demand
As the pandemic began, El Pollo Loco immediately began investing in technology to enable customers to order ahead without having to wait in line. FlyBuy Pickup alleviates the typical operational headaches when juggling multiple pickup orders at one time. With the influx of off-premise traffic, many restaurants have been leaning on temporary manual curbside solutions to keep up with the influx of to-go orders. El Pollo Loco quickly recognized the need for a high-tech, location-based curbside solution, so staff could easily fulfill orders based on the estimated arrival time for each customer and delivery driver. 73% of diners surveyed say that their restaurant experience is improved through technology (source) which is why FlyBuy is met with great enthusiasm by both customers and employees.
El Pollo Loco has fully integrated the FlyBuy technology into their mobile application to create a frictionless user interface for customers. Additionally, the FlyBuy location updates were integrated directly into their Kitchen Display System which enables a seamless experience for staff at the store level. The current system is available in 95% of El Pollo Loco locations.
El Pollo Loco realized that a manual solution would not work while off-premise ordering is up nearly 200%. Knowing when each customer will be arriving is essential for El Pollo Loco to maintain order freshness. FlyBuy makes sure the El Pollo Loco team is operating efficiently and is always prepared for a customer to arrive in-store or at the curb.”
To learn more about FlyBuy Pickup, visit flybuypickup.com.
