Erwin Center debuts order-from-your-seat technology
Starting today, people attending events at the Erwin Center will be able to order popcorn, drinks and other concession fare without leaving their seats.
Using technology from Austin-based Bypass Lane, customers can order their snacks at no extra charge by using an iPhone app or a web browser on their cell phone. They'll receive an app notification or text message when the order is ready and can pick it up in a separate express lane, avoiding lines at the lower-level Texas Traditions 1 and 2 stands.
The service goes live at today's 3 p.m. men's basketball game between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma.
The Dell Diamond in Round Rock and several professional and college sports venues across the country, including the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz., have been using Bypass Lane since it launched last summer.
At the Erwin Center, the 99-cents-per-order fee usually associated with Bypass Lane is being subsidized for the first time by a deal with JetBlue Airways, said Bypass Lane President Brandon Lloyd.
"Fans have paid extra to use the service in order to skip the line," Lloyd said. "We're hoping a lot of future venues will reflect that change."
The technology is enabled through 15-inch order touch screens installed at concession stands, which can integrate with the point-of-sale concession order system. Bypass Lane handles the transactions through its own network and routes them to the food vendor.
In the case of the Erwin Center, Bypass Lane worked with Sodexo Inc., which provides food services for UT and sports media company IMG.
John Graham, director of the Erwin Center, said that the venue has looked at similar services in the past, but they typically involve hardware installed in the seating. Graham said the Erwin Center will be looking closely at the technology before deciding whether to expand it to other concessions.
"What we're mostly concerned about is the fan experience and that everything works smoothly for them," Graham said. "We'll just have to measure that response."
The Erwin Center will promote Bypass Lane on its JumboTron, its electronic ribbon board and in its "Applause" e-mail and magazine newsletters for upcoming shows.
The app and website allow customers to filter options like alcoholic versus nonalcoholic beverages (they even limit the number that can be purchased based on concession stand rules).
Lloyd said the service hopes to grow as more people adopt smart phones and companies like AT&T and Verizon Wireless expand their networks to provide good connectivity at big events.
Bypass Lane has raised $800,000 in private investments and has five full-time employees.
