'Order ahead' makes Starbucks victim of own success

Popularity of mobile ordering leads companies to retool stores

For some time now, restaurant chains have been adding mobile order-ahead options, betting they’d be popular with their customers. But even they were caught off guard with just how big of a hit the technology is turning out to be.

TGI Friday’s Inc mixed up orders, and Starbucks Corp struggled with overcrowding that scared off regular walk-in-and-pay customers. And that’s likely just the beginning for a technology that’s only now really starting to catch on. Researcher Crone Consulting LLC estimates that in five years half of all sales at quick-service chains will be placed digitally before the customer ever steps on