Franchising, retail, business
02/06/2016
"Super premium fast food" is how Starbird, a new restaurant concept in Sunnyvale, California, is describing itself.
"Open an app, place your order and your food is brought to your car door or table within five minutes of parking in the lot," said Aaron Noveshen, one of the founders of The Culinary Edge Ventures, an incubator for dining concepts, that launched the concept. "At Starbird, the strongest elements of QSR and fast casual merge to create 'super premium fast food,' a new dining option where eating conveniently and nutritiously are not at odds."
At Starbird, the traditional drive-thru has been reimagined to eliminate the line of cars waiting in the pick-up lane and replace it with mobile ordering and payment through an app that guests download and use anywhere. Then, when they arrive at the restaurant, they select "I'm here!" on the app and pull into a numbered parking spot where their food is delivered within five minutes, according to a news release. Customers also have the option to dine inside or at the outdoor patio.
"Our lives and our expectations have changed dramatically since the advent of the original drive-thru," Noveshen said. "With Starbird, we're adapting to the new needs of our tech-savvy and culinary-conscious community. We're changing the traditional fast food landscape with new expectations, new standards and new ideals for quick-service dining. … We tested over 100 different chicken preparations before we found this perfect crispy chicken recipe."