Epson announced the Wild Island Adventure Park has implemented a new automated food and beverage ordering system leveraging Epson m-Series POS printers. After realizing its outdated kitchen facilities were struggling to keep up with its growing demands and becoming a barrier to its success, the family fun entertainment center began its search for a solution that would modernize its food and beverage facilities and streamline kitchen operations. Last summer, Wild Island deployed the Truffle GoBox, a contactless food and beverage locker, along with Epson printers, and today has 16 of these innovative lockers throughout the water park’s various food and beverage facilities.
“The kitchen was having a hard time keeping up with the increase in park attendance,” said Kelly Smiley, food and beverage director, Wild Island Adventure Park. “Our tickets were slow and most of our guest complaints and poor reviews were regarding food wait times. We needed another option that removed guests from a classic queue line and gave them the opportunity to wait elsewhere while still enjoying the park.”
The Truffle GoBox offers a powerful, seamless system that blends digital and physical dining. “Today our guests scan a QR code that is posted throughout the park and choose their menu items, which are then sent to the kitchen to be prepared,” said Smiley. “Once ready, the food and beverages are placed into one of the GoBoxes, which can only be unlocked by a QR code that the customer receives when the order is ready for pickup.”
Prior to installing this solution, Wild Island had one main kitchen where they received the most traffic. The lines would be long, with guests sometimes having to wait 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for food. With the new system, guests can continue to enjoy the park while their food is prepared. This helps guarantee order accuracy and eliminates the process of waiting in lines, leaving more time for fun.
Deploying the Truffle GoBoxes and m-Series printers have also helped Wild Island reduce labor hours in the kitchen area. While their kitchen still runs with the same staff it had in the past, now guests can place their orders on their personal devices, allowing the park to eliminate two cashier positions and reallocate those roles to other departments.
“Truffle’s vision is simple yet powerful: to elevate and simplify the dining experience, making it more convenient and enjoyable for both customers and businesses,” said Omer Choudhary, CEO and founder, Truffle Systems, Inc. “Wild Island’s deployment of the Truffle GoBoxes with Epson printers is a testament to our commitment to transforming the hospitality landscape through cutting-edge technology and delivering a seamless and unforgettable experience.”
While the Truffle GoBoxes are a new and exciting addition to the park, Epson thermal POS receipt printers have been used for decades throughout the park. In addition to the recently added m-Series printers integrated with the Truffle GoBoxes, both the entertainment center and water park utilize over 30 TM-T88 series printers due to its speed and low-maintenance features.
“Speed is of the utmost importance at our park, so fast receipt print times are essential,” said Smiley. “One of the most popular stands at the park has an average of 58 transactions an hour. The Epson POS printers can withstand this demand and still last, with little to no maintenance required. In fact, the Epson POS printers that we deployed a decade ago still work just as well as the first day we got them. They are a great long-term solution and probably one of the lowest maintenance pieces of hardware we have.”
“Epson’s POS solutions are designed to offer a broad range of options to businesses, no matter their environment,” said Mauricio Chacon, group product manager, Business Systems Division, Epson America, Inc. “Wild Island took a leap when overhauling its food ordering system and we are thrilled to see they are finding success and providing customers with an improved guest experience.”
