Food Deployment Systems: From the streets to the MoMA

While visiting the MoMA, I decided to investigate how a modern art museum would approach the design of it’s restaurant. I didn’t stay to eat, but I found their ordering system quite interesting. Essentially you place your order, take a number, and place the number on your table. This negates the need for reservations and it allows servers to easily determine where the food is supposed to go.



What I find interesting is that a similar system was being used by entrepreneurial street vendors. For those of you who are unaware, every Monday night of the summer HBO puts on a movie that people are free to come and watch. Although the movie can’t begin until darkness, people fill up the park as early as 5pm. Here is a video that shows the scope of the events:





Street vendors will take peoples orders and then give them a balloon with a number on it. This makes their customers easy to spot from a distance and also allows them to sell more food. From the street to the MoMA, it’s interesting to see how effective system designs are put into action.

Keep it in the short grass,

-Brendon