Struggling with slow sales? The fast-food industry thinks there’s an app for that.
Subway, the world’s largest restaurant chain, this week will begin testing a mobile app in New York stores that will allow customers to order ahead using their smartphones.
“We are rolling it out in a limited way in Midtown Manhattan over the next few days,” Paul Landino, a Subway manger of Manhattan, Bronx and Queens franchisees, told The Post.
To ensure freshness, the location-based app will alert the restaurant to when a customer is nearing the store so that their order can be prepped closer to pick-up time.
Because the app is still in the “beta” test phase and has not rolled out nationwide, customers will need to get the access code to download the app at one of the stores.
Subway and other big chains, including Burger King, McDonald’s and Taco Bell, are in various stages of testing apps aimed at making the fast-food experience even faster.
The rush to embrace smartphones comes as the industry struggles with declining sales, weighed down by the still-sluggish economy. Same-store sales at closely held Subway are down 2 percent over the last few months, sources said.
By cutting down on long lines and making ordering more convenient, the industry hopes to lure younger diners. Smaller chain Chipotle Mexican Grill already has a popular mobile app, for instance.
But there is reason to doubt that apps will do much to boost the fast-food business across the board.
In 2012, Subway franchisees in California launched their own mobile app, which more than 500,000 people have downloaded.
Nevertheless, one California franchisee said that just 1 percent of his store’s 300 daily orders are coming through mobile devices.
“It’s very surprising the number is so low,” he told The Post.
The new app that is being tested in New York will have a drop-down box that allows a customer to choose a Subway location anywhere in the country. Store owners will also be able to tailor their menu and prices to that location.
A Subway spokesman said, “As people further integrate technology into their daily lives, we’re proud to develop and test a number of solutions to make it easier to customize orders and enjoy Subway’s offerings.”