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
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