Gone are the days when baristas simply inscribed a customer’s name on a cup and called it out. While they occasionally misspelled the names, most of the time, the order ended up with the correct person.
However, the process of retrieving takeout has become significantly more complicated in today’s post-pandemic world, heavily influenced by services like Uber Eats and DoorDash. Fortunately, a Chicago-based hardware innovator known as Pickpad is working to simplify this experience with their innovative square device of the same name.
Showcased at CES 2025, this product serves as a compact platform intended for coffee shops and eateries to place their prepared food and drinks for takeout. The modular “smart pad” seamlessly integrates with a restaurant’s P.O.S. system, automatically entering customer names onto its base. Currently, Pickpad is testing this technology with a café in Chicago.
Yaro Tsyhanenko, the founder and CEO, revealed to TechCrunch that the system will be provided as part of a hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) model, with monthly fees ranging from $9 to $19 per pad. This package includes comprehensive support, software, and all the necessary components for restaurants to implement the system effectively. The pricing varies based on the number of pads ordered and whether payments are made on a monthly or yearly basis.
As of now, manufacturing the pads remains costly, with production expenses around $100 each, according to Tsyhanenko. These costs are expected to decrease significantly as Pickpad scales up its production capabilities. The company also plans to develop full shelves designed to easily fit into Ikea bookcases, creating an organized, automated system for order pickups.
Explore more from CES 2025, including…
- Our live updates from CES
- Nvidia unveiling its ‘personal AI supercomputer’
- A new collaboration between Toyota and Nvidia
- Kirin’s innovative electric salt spoon
- Segway’s latest two e-bike models
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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