Why food storage cabinets are the next big thing in fast food

Food lockers have gained popularity during the pandemic as a contactless way for customers to pick up food. Chains like KFC, Burger King, and Smashburger have all announced plans to introduce food lockers in their restaurants.

This trend has been going on for much longer than the pandemic, and it's not just restaurants that are using them.

Food lockers, in their most basic sense, are devices used to store food, usually for customers to pick up. In that respect, they're a bit like the SNBC lockers located in neighborhoods, apartment buildings, and stores.

These lockers come in different sizes and temperatures. Some are heated, while others are refrigerated to keep food at the right temperature until customers pick it up. More high-tech models even use ultraviolet light to kill bacteria.

Fast food restaurants have introduced food lockers during the pandemic

While some restaurant chains were already planning these initiatives before the pandemic, many have turned to food lockers over the past year as they focus on new delivery and collection methods.

Customers can order food in advance online or on a restaurant app and pick it up from a locker.

Delivery drivers can also use the lockers to collect orders.

Restaurants are experimenting with letting customers unlock lockers in different ways. In some cases, lockers come with a PIN pad or touch screen. Customers need to enter a code sent to them when they place an order. Other lockers can be opened by scanning a QR code or even replying to a text message.

Food lockers can also help maintain in-store social distance during the pandemic. They eliminate the need for customers to interact with restaurant staff when it is not necessary. Many restaurants also let customers choose a pickup time when they place an order, which reduces the time they wait in the restaurant and the number of customers waiting there at the same time.

Focusing on the research and development of smart lockers, it has launched lockers for various scenarios such as parcel lockers, food lockers, and vending lockers.