Starbucks Is Testing a Mobile Order and Pay Store
© Starbucks
Life is busy and human interaction can be difficult, so Starbucks is aiming to make your day run a little bit smoother with a store that accepts only mobile orders and payments.
According to Reuters, the trial run will take place in the coffee giant's Seattle headquarters where one of its two cafes is already one of the top three in the United States for mobile ordering.
Customers can simply place their order through the Starbucks' app and retrieve their lattes, mochas and Frappucinos from a large window. The process eliminates all face-to-face communication (unless you want to thank your barista) so that you can then return to work, get your caffeine fix and continue to ignore everyone around you.
The idea allegedly came about after multiple complaints of mobile order back-ups during the chain's rush hours. As we've all witnessed, time is absolutely of the essence when dealing with people and their coffee needs, so a wait never bodes well for a business whose sole purpose is to re-fuel its on-the-go clientele.
This isn't Starbucks' only attempt to target a specific type of consumer. One of its existing headquarter stores will be turned into a Reserve location, selling its premium line of coffee to those with more sophisticated palates.
"Reserve coffees are exclusive, micro-lot varietals that are available for a limited time and in some cases, only once ," Starbucks spokeswoman Haley Drage explained to Business Insider after a NYC launch last year.
Needless to say, we're starting to get a bit concerned about technology's role in replacing people and everyday actions. From pizza delivery robots to bars free of humans, how far is too far? Or is this just a sign of the future? If this is where things are headed, we'll stick to making our own imitations within the comfort of home.
