At the beginning of the pandemic, U.S-based sandwich chain, Which Wich was searching for a streamlined, digital solution to solve Covid woes.
Cofounder and CEO Jeff Sinelli eventually arrived at a piece of innovation that combines the use of human capital and man-made technology. YellowLab is an in-store ordering kiosk run by remote workers, or virtual cashiers.
When a guest approaches the kiosk, the employee receives a notification and proceeds to greet the customer and assist with any questions. When the order process is completed, food is prepared for pickup in the back of house. One of the biggest benefits is that these employees are able to run YellowLab kiosks from multiple locations at once.
Sinelli explained that YellowLab came about because of a personal experience he had with another brand.
“I found myself communicating by order through a plexiglass screen, mask-to-mask, taking away any sense of human interaction or brand experience. My order was half wrong and half missing. I knew there had to be a better way—so we started working with the largest point-of-sale companies in the world to create a solution where humans could still be safe, but we could communicate without barriers, to ensure order accuracy and a unique guest experience.”
YellowLab is currently in three brands: Wich! (store prototype under Which Wich), Earth Burger, and Birdguesa Tenders & Tots, and the company is in discussion with major airlines, other hospitality brands, and some food courts, that find this to be an interesting solution.
It is no secret that labour is expensive and continues to increase. To create labour efficiencies, and having cashiers off-site for better articulation and scheduling, YellowLab reduces labour and upsell, while providing a better customer journey.
“The ultimate thing that everyone is looking for is to reduce labour cost. YellowLab is a great solution with that in mind.”
Which Wich, turning 19 at the end of this year, has always been known for its unique ordering system. Working with strategic design firm, ChangeUp, its nextgen store took a digital transformation, while focusing on making sandwiches faster (and more deliverable) in an even more modern environment.
Sinelli said he is also very interested in exploring delivery robots.
