Marco’s Pizza

Rick Stanbridge

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic  exposed both strengths and  weaknesses in systems and  organizations across every  industry. Restaurant and  entertainment concepts were confronted  with an issue that shook the very core  of the industry – how to produce the  same customer experience sans human  contact. Many concepts are still struggling  to find their footing in this new space  where convenience and contact-free is  king, while others are poised to excel.  A main differentiator for those that are  forging ahead is technology. This has  unfortunately left many customers with no  choice but to leave behind businesses that  were stuck in the past. 

Our team at Marco’s Pizza is  incredibly committed to innovation  and setting the business foundation  for “Marco’s of the Future”. While we  were already headed in the direction of  streamlined delivery, carryout and other  upgrades to customer convenience, the  pandemic accelerated these efforts. At  the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, the  motive behind engineering contact-free  delivery and carryout was to keep our  customers and teams safe as we continued  to feed communities across the country.  Now, as vaccines begin to be distributed  and administered, Marco’s remains  focused on fortifying our technology  for long term success as the need for  convenience and safety won’t go away  anytime soon. 

Contact-less Everything 

Marco’s is piloting, testingand  implementing several technologies  including SMS, beacons and more to  make contact-free delivery and curbside  carryout services more automated. These  technologies can be embedded into both  our Marco’s app and POS systems. In  addition to notifying the store when a  customer arrives and letting a customer  know that their order is available, we’re  integrating various elements of artificial  intelligence to streamline the process  further. 

For example, once a customer order is  placed, they receive an email confirmation.  This confirmation allows customers to  notify the store upon arrival, a message  is immediately sent to the POS system –  sharing identifying information such as  vehicle description and order number – so  that the customer can be serviced quickly.  There is also an option for customers to  track an order to keep them updated every  step of the way for seamless and safe  exchanges. 

Robotic Kitchens 

Our leadership team is meeting with various  manufacturers on integrating robotics into  our kitchens with the goal to automate our  high traffic locations for efficiency and  accuracy. The primary benefit of utilizing  this form of technology is speed – lowering  delivery times and maximizing high-volume  opportunity. At the same time, we need to  ensure our quality standards are maintained. 

Ghost Kitchens 

Third-party delivery is booming and Marco’s  Pizza will continue to be at the forefront,  answering demand. One way to ensure  customers the same great experience via a  third-party app, like UberEats, Grubhub,  Postmates or DoorDash, is to optimize your  kitchen for those types of orders. We’re  piloting virtual kitchens and ghost kitchens  as we speak with franchisees across the  country. These virtual or ghost kitchens are  all about efficiency in a shared kitchen space,  which also allow us to easily use third-party  delivery drivers and provide a quick-to-open  format. 

Even as humanity re-emerges from  this pandemic, the demand for convenience  and safety is here to stay. This makes it  essential for food and beverage companies  to prioritize innovation and lead with  technology. By using the pandemic to reflect  on weaknesses, industry professionals have  a unique opportunity to rise above and  succeed for years to come.