Fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A is setting the bar in the food industry as they hope to open a new “digital only” restaurant. Over the years, sit-down restaurants have become obsolete, and people do not usually eat in the restaurant anymore. Therefore, they’re introducing a digital-only restaurant pretty soon!

A digital-only food restaurant is a unique dining experience. It involves the use of technology to help the customer get their orders placed but with no physical space to sit and eat.
Therefore, most digital restaurants do only takeaway options. Since the rate at which customers eat-in is highly reduced, a lot of advanced countries have taken this method of restauranting.

The fast food company is set to open its first digital-only restaurant on March 21st. For its launch, they chose New York City, which is famous for its hustle and bustle lifestyle.
According to Nation’s Restaurant News, the first branch opened on the Upper East Side of New York City. “At Chick-fil-A, we are always looking for ways to innovate and enhance the Guest experience,” said Nathaniel Cates, the company’s senior principal Design Lead.

This new restaurant is strictly a digital-only restaurant. Therefore, there are no sitting areas at this digital restaurant. This is quite peculiar as most digital restaurants usually have a small sitting area, but Chick-fil-A is taking a different approach.
Customers will only be able to pick up their orders or send delivery riders to get them.

One of the major aims of the digital restaurant is to create clear lines for customers and delivery drivers. Rather than having long lines where people try to order and then wait for their food, people would only walk up to the outlet when they know their order is ready.
Each path will have a status board which will show if a particular order is ready or still in preparation to avoid long queues.

While there are many reasons why the fast food chain is opening the digital-only restaurant, the major reason is the digitalization of life.
There is a huge surge in mobile and food delivery orders all over the world. Therefore, capitalizing on this is great business. In 2022 alone, the U.S. made $17.1 billion from food delivery revenue.

In its regular physical locations, it employs about 140 staff members. However, as it is strictly a digital-only restaurant, the company does not need so many hands on deck. Therefore, this new restaurant only employed 40 people.
Most of them are kitchen staff, while the rest will be front-of-house, helping with orders and other issues.

For digital restaurants, the customer places the order, and then when it’s ready, they head there to pick it up. However, Chick-fil-A is doing things differently.
According to the website, when the customer places an order; they would alert the restaurant. Then, they would get another notification when the customer is coming to pick up the order so they know to start preparing it in the hopes that it will be done by the time the customer arrives.

Speed and convenience are the driving forces behind the company’s decision to establish a purely digital restaurant. Therefore, what better city than the city that never sleeps?
Many New Yorkers are constantly on the move and eat on the go. They do not have the time to sit in a restaurant for long to eat. Therefore, this is the perfect first location, as its success will show its viability for the future.

Although New Yorkers are always on the go, they still prioritize hospitality and proper services. When they find a good spot that saves time for them, most of them are sure to become loyal customers.
Therefore, Chick-fil-A is also trying to capitalize on this fact. Their busy schedules fit perfectly with the aim of the digital restaurant.

The new Chick-fil-A restaurant offers a lot of flexibility with its many options. As customer preferences grow, the company is trying its best to not only keep up, but to continue to provide quality service to them.
“While digital concepts are becoming more prevalent, it’s important that we evolve in a uniquely Chick-fil-A way – meeting the changing needs of our customers without compromising the signature service and care they’ve grown to know and love,” Cates said.

While most of its customers will be online, the fast food chain has also made provisions for those who would like to walk in and order.
Therefore, there will be QR codes situated around the restaurant for customers to scan on their phones. Afterward, they can place their orders and leave happy and satisfied.

Chick-fil-A Has Always Been Proud of Its Hospitality
Nation’s Restaurant News spoke to Khalilah Cooper, Chick-fil-A’s chief director of restaurant design, who said they look at how customers engage with Chick-fil-A and try to meet their needs that way.
Hospitality has always been one of their highest priorities regardless of the type of restaurant. Therefore, one can expect good customer service and satisfaction at the digital-only branch as well.