Simple, Practical Innovation

Sometimes it just takes a simple approach to truly innovate.  Taking a look at what is right in front of you and imagining how it can be made better or provide more benefit.

For all you road warriors out there (like myself), I spend a lot of time passing through countless airports all year.  While on a recent trip through ORD (road warriors know this code instantly), I saw a truly simple, practical innovation aimed at making traveler's lives just a bit easier.

Take one extended length service golf cart, remove the seats, add some nice graphics, a simple storage bin on the front, a clean-looking display case on the back, load it with enticing snacks and drinks, add a Wi-Fi enabled Point of Sale device and voila!  You have a mobile food cart!!  As travelers you know how tough it can be waiting for flights, hoping to get a comfortable seat to rest, read or do a bit of work - but you hate to have to give up that seat to go get a drink or something to eat.  This mobile food cart that I saw for the first time last week at ORD is brilliant.  The cart pulled up to a crowded group of gates and was immediately surrounded by people buying drinks, snacks and sandwiches.  The person driving the cart was swiping credit cards faster than I've ever seen and the customers seemed genuinely happy to have such a convenient mobile snack cart!

My hat is off to the team at HMSHost that developed and implemented this concept!  As a road warrior, I applaud your simple, practical innovative approach to providing better service to all travelers!

As it turns out, HMSHost has also launched a series of food trucks for motorway travelers, beer carts and even bicycle food carts (Memphis) and even a made to order food cart (Maui - think BBQ tacos) in what they are calling a "the most seamless dining experience for the traveler".

Bravo HMSHost!!!  Travelers of the world will love these innovations!