Au Bon Pain Jumps On Mobile Order Ahead Train

Waiting in line is becoming a drag. If there’s one thing today’s consumers aren’t, it’s patient.

As a result, mobile order ahead options soon look to become a dominant digital ordering method in the quick service restaurants (QSR) space.

Since Starbucks debuted its offering back in 2015, QSRs across the U.S. have been jumping on the mobile order ahead bandwagon in droves. The latest QSR franchise to join is Boston-based Au Bon Pain. Yesterday, the company announced the launch of ABP Pickup — the company’s new line-busting, mobile order ahead service.

Available via Au Bon Pain’s mobile app (naturally) on iOS and Android, as well as via Au Bon Pain’s website, ABP pickup allows customers to order, select a pick-up time and pay.

“With ABP Pickup, guests will have more time to get on with the busy day ahead with a full and happy stomach,” said Ray Blanchette, president and CEO, Au Bon Pain. “We put our time into creating quality, delicious food but want to give our guests an efficient dining experience. We are proud to introduce this new service to better help our customers, no matter what their schedules may look like.”

To start, ABP Pickup is being rolled out across Au Bon Pain’s Massachusetts locations. Mobile order ahead functionality will become available across the regions Au Bon Pain serves between now and May 25, 2017.

Mobile order ahead has gone from zero to hundreds of thousands in just a few short years.

By the end of 2015, order-ahead solutions had been deployed at 60,000 locations across the U.S. Through 2016, it had grown to feature in 180,000 locations.

By the end of 2017, projections indicate that ordering ahead will scale to more than 300,000 locations nationwide. To put it another way, by the end of 2017, order ahead could be in 40 to 50 percent of all QSRs, coffee shops, etc., in the U.S.