uWink Inc. (UWKI)

[sagar]

a solution to when uwink is nearing closing time and people are arriving.

Problem:
a customer walks into uwink at 40 minutes before closing. say there are things on the menu that take 25 minutes to make and another 25 minutes to eat. and these times vary depending upon staffing, how busy they are, number of current orders for that item, etc. if a customer orders these items, the restaurant can't close on time. but a customer doesn't know this about the item (and doesn't necessarily want to sit there after close with employees staring at them).

Solution:
the uwink table terminal can deactivate these items from the menu while still showing them (i.e grey them out) depending upon it's algorithm (taking into account how busy, level of staffing, time, number of current orders etc.) so a customer can comfortably come into uwink 40 minutes before close and know that every option on the menu is one that can be made and eaten in time. granted you may have much fewer options, but coming in 40 minutes to close you would expect that. and you don't have to ask a waitress or restaurant staff and they don't have to feel bad saying "yeah that's really long to make etc." expanding on that, why can't the uwink system always show the time to make a specific item. the system knows how many current orders there are, and it knows the average time it takes to make an item, so seems like this is possible. and this is something i want to consider as a customer when ordering. and
good for the restaurant, if there is a ton of people ordering one item and there is a long wait, people may order something else. but to have access to this sort of kitchen information as a customer would be awesome. i mean not only can you modify your food in so many different ways, but they tell you how long it will take. i don't have to sit there staring in the direction of the kitchen or waiters. and you know what if something says on the terminal that it will take 45 minutes, then i may still order it. because i know right from the start that its gonna be a while so now i can just order some drinks in between or snacks maybe. or maybe i'll head over to that 6 person table and play some games.