Compass Debuts Remote Meal Order App

Compass Group North America recently launched Zipthru Mobile, a mobile ordering service that allows customers to pre-order and pay for their meal using their smartphones. The service will be used with Compass' retail brands, including BYOB, 2Mato, Mondo Subs, Chickendipity, Yan Can Cook and Create.

ZipThru Mobile launched August 29 at the BYOB burger station at Quinnipiac University and is being publicized with a contest to win an iTouch.

“This mobile solution is perfect for driving sales in branded concepts,” says Tracy Vessillo, vice president of Innovations for Compass. “It gives our customers a way to place orders when it fits into their day. It literally puts our stores at their fingertips! We fully expect that once customers use mobile ordering, they will continue to do so, based on the speed of the user-friendly software.”

To use the service, customers browse through the menu selections, choose a pick-up time and pre-pay, eliminating wait times and increasing customer satisfaction.

In addition to featuring Compass' retail brands, the mobile ordering service can be used for ordering from other café menu stations. It was recently introduced at the New York Stock Exchange, where customers are able to order items from the Whole Sum wellness station as well as the grill, deli, pizza and hot entrée stations.

“The majority of the traders are unable to leave their desk for an extended period of time, so being able to order lunch from their phone and then just pick it up makes it easy and convenient for them,” says Bryce Cole, general manager of the Eurest café at NYSE. “The order is pre-paid, so when they get to the café, they just go to the pickup window, show their ID badge, take their bag and go — the whole process takes just a minute.”

ZipThru Moble also offers customers the option of being able to place and manage their orders using their PCs or iPads in addition to smartphones.

Compass plans to extend the mobile ordering service to other clients in the business & industry and college and university segments this fall.

“We developed this app to meet the increasing demand from our customers for innovative mobile solutions,” says Mike Barner, vice president of Field Systems with Compass Group. “It provides a simple and convenient way to order from any smartphone mobile device. And it simplifies things for our operations, with built-in order management tools that help to streamline and control the production and delivery processes.”

For a video of the Zipthru Mobile App, go to video.food-management.com.