Freebirds World Burrito Thinking Like the Smartest of College Students

 

Taking about customer relevance, college students are targeted by every sector of foodservice for their ‘life time value as a customer and propensity for eating out while a student according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

That said, today’s college students are digital natives, and technology is as normal for them as wearing shoes.  Ok, I’m old but back in my day most students sat in the grass, with grass and most did not wear shoes.  So, Freebirds World Burrito is not testing robotic takeout stations. That I believe will be a home run with college students.

So, Now Cuisine and Freebirds World Burrito, known as Texas’ No. 1 Burrito, have entered into a strategic partnership including a pilot program to bring Freebirds’ beloved and craveable bowls to new locations throughout the Dallas area using Now Cuisine’s robotic Takeout Stations.

Now Cuisine’s Takeout Stations are compact, fully-automated, AI-enabled kiosks that can be placed nearly anywhere to serve freshly made-to-order hot meals in minutes, 24/7. Freebirds has issued a purchase order to Now Cuisine which will allow its food to be served in multiple Takeout Stations in Texas as part of the pilot.

According to Now Cuisine Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Adam Lloyd Cohen, “Forward thinking leaders and companies like Alex and Freebirds are experimenting with technology to bring their great food much closer to the people they serve, making it more convenient to eat a delicious hot meal wherever one happens to be, any time of day or night.”

Restaurant-branded Takeout Stations will likely initially be placed in multifamily and office buildings, with plans to later expand to college campuses, airports, hotels, and other locations.

Alex Eagle, Chief Executive Officer for Freebirds World Burrito added, “We’re continuing to invest in new technologies that give people the option to have Freebirds’ craveable bowls whenever and wherever they want them. It’s just cool that a Texas-based AI and robotics company can help a Texas-based burrito company expand in ways we could only imagine just a few years ago.”

As part of the partnership, Eagle is joining Now Cuisine’s advisory board, where he will provide strategic guidance on marketing Now Cuisine and expanding operations throughout Texas.

Now Cuisine is bringing to market a new category of foodservice that addresses the fundamental mismatch between the distribution of people (who are nearly everywhere) and that of restaurants (which tend to be clustered, for example, in retail locations). The result is that enjoying a good meal—if it’s available at all—too often requires people take the time to travel to a restaurant or pay extra for someone to make the trip for them. Through its vision of Distributed Dining™, Now Cuisine seeks to democratize access to delicious, healthful, affordable food, making it ubiquitous and always nearby: wherever people live, work, and play. Through a connected network of Takeout Stations, Now Cuisine is working to improve nutrition, shrink food deserts, save precious time, and reduce waste, traffic, and emissions.

As Texas’ No. 1 Burrito and consumer choice for “Most Craveable Brand,” Freebirds uses certified Master Grillers to ensure its single-cut meats are marinated and grilled to perfection. With the most flavorful marinades and sauces in Texas, Freebirds is consistently craveable. “It’s Your World” at Freebirds where burritos and bowls are customizable and personalized with signature ingredients, including premium meats, guacamole, legendary Queso Blanco and other delicious options you won’t find anywhere else.

The partnership with Now Cuisine is just one of many investments in technology that is fueling Freebirds’ dynamic growth. Freebirds recently announced a new partnership Qu unified omnichannel ordering platform to integrate a wide range of systems and give guests their Freebirds favorites faster wherever they want to order or pick up their meal. Qu’s cloud-based design will let Freebirds experiment with additional mobile and non-traditional outlets. Freebirds is planning to double its total number of locations over the next 5 years, if not faster.  The main areas of expansion will be across Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, though the growth will see locations open across the state. The brand has already announced new restaurant openings in the pipeline in Kingwood, Spring, Katy and Dripping Springs. With its current growth rate, Freebirds will solidify its position as Texas’ second largest burrito chain.

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter