South African company Whataburger to build first digital kitchen in Austin
Austin “When the newly-constructed Whataburger LLC restaurant off B Cave Road had a slick sign advertising “digital cuisine” recently, social media was buzzing with questions about the new fast food burger joint.
It will be very similar to the regular Whataburger, but will focus on a takeaway lunch, with a “digital pickup lane” instead of the traditional drive-thru.
“We are excited to introduce Whataburger’s first digital kitchen at Austin’s Bee Cave to provide new, faster and more convenient ways to serve our guests while providing an enhanced digital experience,” said Alexander Ivannikov, Whataburger Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. by email.
A visit to the store on June 18 at 3201 Bee Cave Road found many parking spaces outside. There were two kiosks in front of the entrance with signs instructing customers to use them to order food or the Whataburger app and then pick up the food at the “food locker”.
The store is strictly self-pickup, no canteen. It includes elements of a ghost kitchen as well as parts of a takeaway model found in places like Tso Chinese. It’s a notable experiment in restaurant design and operation for Whataburger at a time when many fast food restaurants are testing new ways to reach customers in the wake of the pandemic.
While this nearly 2,300-square-foot store is moving digitally, it won’t lose the human touch. Whataburger will need about 50 employees for the location, including salaried restaurant executives, executive positions and hourly workers.
You can read about it in full in the San Antonio Business Journal.
Editor’s Note: This story was published through a partnership between KSAT and the San Antonio Business Journal.
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