Brief:

• Shake Shack is evolving its in-store experience with its new Astor Place Shack in New York City, which will feature ordering kiosks based on the chain's mobile app, cashless transactions and an optimized kitchen for speedy service, according to a news release.  
• The Astor Plack Shack is custom designed to allow the restaurant to serve more customers at peak times with fewer lines, shorter wait times and quicker service. It will serve customers who are ordering at the kiosk or picking up orders placed via the Shack App, which the company introduced earlier this year. 
• The new outpost will enable the brand to extend its mobile strategy, offer personalization and connect with loyal customers.

Insight:

As mobile ordering has grown, chains like Starbucks, Chipotle and others have struggled with a surge in sales that can result in longer lines for customers because operations aren't optimized for mobile orders. Shake Shack's Astor Place location is an attempt by the chain to test a new model designed with mobile ordering and these challenges in mind. 

Shake Shack is placing multiple Shack kiosks at its new New York City location as an extension of its overall mobile strategy. The kiosks at Astor Place Shack replicate the ordering experience of the Shack App, helping to position the burger chain as a digitally progressive business that’s dedicated to the customer experience.

The Astor Place location lets Shake Shack test its digital technology in a real-life setting. The Shack kiosk features a stylish design, touch-screen interface and easy ordering system, where customers select their food, place the order and can choose to receive a text alert when the order is ready. The location features several kiosks, and staff, referred to as Hospitality Champs, will be available to help customers place their orders and answer questions. Kiosk-only ordering is intended to reduce wait times and streamline the kitchen’s output.

In addition to the online ordering app for iOS and Android, Shake Shack also offers the ShackBot on Facebook Messenger and Twitter direct message where customers can ask questions.