Bite of Seattle payment system frustrates customers, businesses
SEATTLE - One of Seattle's signature events returned this last weekend after four-year hiatus.
Bite of Seattle reeled in more than 75,000 people to Seattle Center on the first night alone. But for many at the event, the eating extravaganza was less than fulfilling.
This year was the first year the Bite of Seattle went solely cashless, but it wasn't cashless in the sense of card-only. If you wanted to order and purchase food, you had to go through the "CHEQ" app. However, according to consumers and vendors, this was the source of many headaches this weekend.
"It was terrible," said Anitra Fuller, who attended the event Sunday. "We waited for two weeks to go to the bite. We go every year - probably ten or 15 years. We wait on this day. We were excited."
That excitement slowly faded once her family made it to Seattle Center. They noticed fewer vendors in years past, and now to order food, they need the CHEQ app.
"We download the app -- took ten minutes because the internet was really slow," Fuller said. "So you download the app, you purchase the food and then you move to one line and then you tell them you've paid for the food. Then you get out of line and get back to the other line and pick up the food."
Fuller told FOX 13, the series of lines made for hours of frustration -- not just for her family, but for others as well.
"Every line was long," Fuller said. "I’ve never seen the lines that long. Usually, you can order your food and you can get it within five to ten minutes. You think, okay I’m getting lobster or I’m getting some big-ticket items and it’s usually quick. You don’t mind waiting, but all of the lines were long and people were more confused on what line to stand in."
Several people also took to social media and Yelp reviews.
"I do like having one app for all orders. The one thing I didn't like from past Bites were the giant lines to order and how they caused massive clogs. I like ordering on my phone then just wait in the general vicinity, out of the way. But the way they present themselves is not great, I can see why there are many negative reactions," wrote Reddit user Draelmar.
On Instagram user wrote:
The CHEQ app was designed to make it easier for folks at The Bite. According to Fuller, it only made a world of cashless transactions unattractive.
"It was a total waste of time," Fuller said. "We don’t live close, so we had to fight a little bit of traffic. My husband was so worried about the weekend and the traffic — and I kept saying ‘we’re going to The Bite, we’re going to The Bite.’ But I will not go to an event that is working with the same system."
Vendors who were trying to sell their products weren't at ease this weekend either. They were also battling technical difficulties.
"Due to the slowness of the service, we never saw their orders," said Lori Green from Change Your Narrative Today. "So, we would have to actually look at their phones, write down the order, and then send it to the back to have that order made."
Green was at The Bite selling freeze-dried candy and ice cream. She told FOX 13, the CHEQ system was supposed to keep track of everyone's transactions, but their numbers never added up.
"When we left, we had 500 pre-packaged items of one flavor and 150 pre-packaged items of the other," Green said. "We did not sell on their list that many items, but we were completely sold out of them. So, we are short 102 of one item and we are also short on the calculations of about 40 to 50 of the other item. I don't know what happened to those transactions."
Green knew it would be a cashless event, but didn't know the CHEQ app would be unreliable for customers and her.
"I can't see how one would fathom that users could just walk in and use a system without any learning, knowledge, or training," Green said.
FOX 13 reached out to the Bite of Seattle to ask what happened with the app and why it didn't work for so many. They directed us to CHEQ, and CHEQ's CEO, Tom Lapham, said in a statement:
"In its return this year, Bite of Seattle saw record-breaking attendance, a great line-up of live music, and an eclectic variety of food in an event free for attendees. There were also some key learnings regarding how attendees and vendors used the CHEQ app, and how we can better communicate expectations and processes around it. We appreciate all of the attendees and vendors who have shared their feedback, and look forward to refining the experience for all in 2024."
As far as the Bite in 2024, Fuller said she will not return as a customer. Green said she'd reconsider coming back as a vendor if the event allowed other ways of paying that don't include the CHEQ app.