Restaurant Pickups Revolutionized: Smart Locker Solutions Explained

00:04 – Marielle Kokos:
My name is Marielle. I am in sales with Apex Order Pickup Solutions. We do smart pickup lockers for restaurants.

00:12 – Audrey Hogan:
Very cool. Tell me what that looks like.

00:15 – Marielle Kokos:
It’s a very simple process. A restaurant loads the food into the locker from the backside, or it could be a front-loading locker. Then a third-party delivery driver or a first-party pickup customer scans a code on their phone or types in their first name, last initial, or cell phone number—whatever the restaurant decides. The locker opens, they grab their food, shut the locker, and go. It’s usually a 10-second process.

00:40 – Audrey Hogan:
That is very cool. When a brand comes to you and they’ve never used lockers before, what problem are they trying to solve? And what are they surprised you also solve once the lockers are implemented?

00:55 – Marielle Kokos:
What I hear from restaurant partners is they want a consistent experience for their customers. Lockers make that easy—it’s the same process every time, so customers know exactly what to expect. Another big use case is third-party delivery. We’ve all seen drivers come in trying to get the order as fast as possible, sometimes being disruptive. For example, at a brewery with customers in line, a driver barging in can be a pain. Lockers streamline that process, keeping things smooth on one side of the restaurant—or even outside with external lockers. That way, no one gets disrupted.

01:41 – Marielle Kokos:
Everyone can focus on what they do best—surprising and delighting customers. It even helps with third-party delivery.

01:48 – Audrey Hogan:
Very cool. I imagine CSAT scores go up, employee retention improves—just from reducing the chaos.

02:01 – Marielle Kokos:
We recently did a study with a third-party company, looking at how drivers feel about lockers. A rising number said their lives would be easier with locker pickups. If they knew an order was in a locker, they’d be more likely to accept it. So it’s not just restaurants loving it—drivers are, too. They grab the food and go quickly.

02:38 – Audrey Hogan:
Understandably, for sure.

02:40 – Marielle Kokos:
It’s very cool.

02:41 – Audrey Hogan:
You’ve been to many FS Tecs. What surprised you this year? What didn’t you expect?

02:51 – Marielle Kokos:
Great question. What I’ve enjoyed seeing this year—and last year—is the excitement about new technology. People are open and willing to learn how we can help solve problems through automation, letting them focus on what they love—working directly with customers instead of backend tasks.

03:18 – Audrey Hogan:
Totally fair. There was so much rapid tech adoption that people got overwhelmed and needed a break. But now it feels like they’ve taken a breath and are ready to tackle challenges again. What topic at the sessions has been most exciting for you?

03:45 – Marielle Kokos:
Funny enough, it has nothing to do with lockers—it’s about AI and automation. I attended a session sponsored by Hyro, who do AI-powered voice ordering. Seeing how restaurants use it and how customers interact with it—it’s fascinating and shows the efficiency it brings.

04:12 – Audrey Hogan:
That’s awesome.

04:13 – Marielle Kokos:
Yeah.

04:13 – Audrey Hogan:
What tip would you give to a restaurant attending FS Tech for the first time? There are only a couple hours left on the show floor, and a few sessions tomorrow. What should they do?

04:30 – Marielle Kokos:
Come with a plan. Research the app beforehand, figure out who’s there, what they do, and what problems you’re trying to solve. Have a list of people you want to visit. It can be overwhelming with all the activity, so having a game plan really helps. And now, with limited time left—ask yourself, who haven’t you seen yet? What new technology do you still want to explore?

05:07 – Audrey Hogan:
The restaurant tech industry has this really cool media-social soul, grounded in hospitality. Many tech companies are founded by former restaurateurs or people close to the industry. You can feel the love for hospitality in the products.

05:30 – Marielle Kokos:
Right.

05:31 – Audrey Hogan:
The industry has gone through a lot. What do you think is next, while still keeping that soul?

05:39 – Marielle Kokos:
I’ve seen a big focus on loyalty and customer retention, and also on building a great culture for employees. Labor is still a big issue, and it’s tough to maintain a full staff. Restaurants need to think about how to keep team members engaged and loyal. Happy employees lead to better customer experiences.

06:13 – Audrey Hogan:
That’s a great segue. That’s how we met—through the Lineup acquisition when it became part of TimeForge. You know firsthand the impact labor solutions have on the customer experience. What do you wish more restaurants understood, even now?

06:38 – Marielle Kokos:
Technology isn’t just about replacing labor. It’s about repurposing people for more impactful work and letting technology handle repetitive tasks.

07:06 – Audrey Hogan:
What’s your favorite pizza place in Chicago?

07:09 – Marielle Kokos:
Unfortunately, I have celiac, so I need gluten-free pizza. My favorite is Pete’s on the north side, near Lane Tech Baseball. That’s my go-to.

07:24 – Audrey Hogan:
Love that. I’ll try it sometime.

07:27 – Marielle Kokos:
All right.

07:27 – Audrey Hogan:
Anything else people should know?

07:29 – Marielle Kokos:
Back to lockers—yes, they are affordable. People assume lockers mean a huge upfront cost, but that’s not true. We have a great leasing program, making them a manageable monthly fee, including software and integrations. It makes the concept easier to digest and more accessible.

07:56 – Audrey Hogan:
So if I’m a restaurant wanting to know more about lockers—if I’m a good fit, and what problems you can solve—what’s my first step?

08:06 – Marielle Kokos:
Reach out to me—email or LinkedIn, whatever’s easiest. I’m happy to answer questions or connect you with the right person at Apex.

08:17 – Audrey Hogan:
Love it. Wonderful.

08:18 – Marielle Kokos:
Thank you very much.