Case Study Problem: Optimizing Service Efficiency at "QuickBite" Fast Food Restaurant

Scenario

Due date $30-05-2024$

Questions for Discussion

$1-$ Queuing Theory Application:

How does queuing theory help in understanding and solving the issue of long wait times at "QuickBite"?

What are the key metrics used in queuing theory to analyze the waiting lines in this case study?

$2-$ Data Analysis:

Calculate the average queue length and waiting time for both lunch and dinner hours using the provided data.

Discuss the implications of these calculations on customer satisfaction and restaurant operations.

$3-$ Strategy Evaluation:

Compare the proposed strategies for reducing wait times. Which strategy do you think is the most effective and why?

How would you address potential challenges in implementing your recommended strategy?

Case Study Problem: Optimizing Service Efficiency at "QuickBite" Fast Food Restaurant

Scenario

Due date $30-05-2024$

"QuickBite" is a popular fast$-$food restaurant located in a bustling urban area. The restaurant has experienced significant growth in customer traffic, particularly during lunch and dinner hours. While the restaurant is known for its delicious food and cleanliness, customer complaints about long wait times have been increasing. These wait times occur both at the order counter and the pick$-$up area, leading to customer dissatisfaction and a potential loss of business to competitors.

The restaurant management has decided to apply queuing theory to analyze and address the issue of long wait times. They have collected data on customer arrival rates, service times, and the number of service stations $($counters$)$ during different times of the day.

Data Provided

$1-$ Customer Arrival Rate $()$:

Lunch Hours $(12$ PM $-2$ PM$)$: $40$ customers per hour

Dinner Hours $(6$ PM $-8$ PM$)$: $50$ customers per hour

$2-$ Service Time $()$:

Each service counter can serve a customer in $2$ minutes on average $(=30$ customers per hour per counter$).$

$3-$ Number of Service Counters:

Lunch Hours: $2$ counters

Dinner Hours: $3$ counters

Problem Statement

Objective: To optimize the service efficiency at "QuickBite" by reducing customer wait times during peak hours using queuing theory.

Tasks

$1-$ Analysis of Current Situation:

Calculate the average queue length and average waiting time for customers during lunch and dinner hours using the given data.

Identify the bottlenecks and critical issues leading to long wait times.

$2-$ Evaluation of Alternatives:

Propose at least three strategies to reduce customer wait times. These strategies could include increasing the number of service counters, improving service speed, or implementing technology solutions such as self$-$service kiosks.

Evaluate the potential impact of each proposed strategy on the average queue length and waiting time.