The Chipotle Effect: Volume 1 by Barron Paul

Author:Barron, Paul [Barron, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Transmedia Press LLC
Published: 2014-04-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Time-Shifting and the Death of Drive-Thru Nation

Time shifting is a concept developed by Michael Tchong, the founder of Ubercool. His theory is that we all look for solutions that help us control our time. Just about every decision we make is based on how much time something takes. What time do we go to beat the rush at a restaurant or get the best table?

Time shifting helped create the entire fast-casual segment. We all knew what it was to go through a three-minute drive-thru experience. So speed has clearly been on our minds for a while. But what changed? What made us believe that speed, quality, and price could all be maximized at the same time? It was the Internet, of course. It has made us a time-shifting nation.

However, nothing can be sped up infinitely. What is the tipping point for time shifting? I don’t know this, but I suspect it’s some time away. The potential of mobile and tablet computing platforms has barely begun to be tapped; in just ten years, the technology will be so advanced and woven into our everyday lives that time will become even more malleable and valuable than it is today. With mobile computing and the cloud, 24x7 connectivity has been realized. We already have the power to communicate, share info, research, and initiate action on a huge array of needs in our lives in seconds and on the move, from confirming a visit from a plumber to locating and booking a table at the best Cuban restaurant in Miami’s South Beach. We text, tweet, Skype, surf, update, read ebooks, and watch movies on live streaming all while on the subway en route to our favorite downtown district. Nothing is impossible to the generation that has embraced the potential of this mobile technology, and their food providers had better keep up.

What will happen in the future of the restaurant business? Time will continue to compound. Much like Moore’s Law showed the exponential increase in microchip power, time shifting will continue to force us to evolve in how we work, carry on relationships, and feed ourselves. Restaurants are not exempt. And while these days time shifting is mostly an experience of the affluent, this will change as well. The cost of tech always drops. Within a few years, lower-cost devices that carry as much power as today’s iPhone or iPad will appear on the market, opening time shifting potential to everyone.

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