Three cafes in Palo Alto have the coolest new payment app, Downtown.
I paid Coupa Cafe a visit Friday. The app woke up and greeted me when I arrived:
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You can see I sniff for beacons too and there are a lot of them here. They are what makes the magic happen. Not everybody appreciates the magic of these alerts which some consider obtrusive. You can imagine the notifications you’d get during a walk through downtown Palo Alto when everyone is using Downtown. But, forget that for now, lets focus on the magic.
I was at Coupa Cafe to meet someone and chat about innovation; using the app was appropriate for the conversation. It also helped us bypass the line at the counter. We settled down at a table with a Bluetooth low energy beacon disguised in a plastic case with instructions on how to order with your phone.
The check out process was simple:
And I received a text message immediately confirming the order.
As promised, the order arrived at the table soon. The meeting went great and I’m on to the next thing.
Simple.
Easy.
This is the magic of technology working for you.
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