Reusable food or beverage container system

A method of managing reusable food or beverage containers using a reusable food or beverage container system, the method comprising:

• providing a reusable food or beverage container system comprising a reusable food or beverage container, a tracking subsystem with at least one reader, a reusable food or beverage container receptacle, an automated washing subsystem, and an automated organizing and outputting subsystem, the reusable food or beverage container having an identification device incorporated therein and readable by the at least one reader;
• receiving a customer order for a food or beverage, the order being associated with a customer identifier;
• fulfilling the order using the reusable food or beverage container in ready state;
• the system associating the reusable food or beverage container identification device and associated reusable food or beverage container with the customer identifier in a computer executed data store;
• providing the customer order in the reusable food or beverage container to the customer;
• the customer returning the reusable food or beverage container by placing the reusable food or beverage container into the reusable food or beverage container receptacle;
• the automated washing subsystem washing, sanitizing, and drying the reusable food or beverage container;
• and
• the automated organizing and outputting subsystem outputting the reusable food or beverage container cleaned, sanitized, and dried in ready state.

A method of managing reusable food or beverage containers using a reusable food or beverage container system, the method comprising:

• providing a one or more reusable food or beverage containers with an identification device incorporated therein and having a status indicator in a tracking subsystem;
• issuing one or more of the reusable food or beverage containers to fulfill a food or beverage order and updating the status indicator;
• receiving one or more of the issued reusable food or beverage containers at a receptacle and updating the status indicator;
• washing, sanitizing, and drying the one or more received reusable food or beverage containers in a washing subsystem, thereby resulting in one or more cleaned reusable food or beverage containers;
• and
• outputting the one or more cleaned reusable food or beverage containers using an organizing and outputting subsystem and updating a status indicator.