Reduced wait time order processing

A method, comprising:

• receiving a store identifier for a store selected by a user for an online order being placed by the user through a user interface of an online ordering application;
• obtaining a current location of a device of the user, the device processing the online ordering application;
• identifying candidate stores based on known locations of the candidate stores and based on the current location of the device;
• and
• selecting a target store to place the online order based on current in-store queue customer counts for customers waiting to place in-store orders at the candidate stores and based on current online order counts from pending online orders at the candidate stores.

A system comprising:

• at least one server that comprises at least one processor;
• and
• the at least one processor executes instructions that cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
• maintaining current customer queue counts for customers waiting to place in-store orders at stores based on images captured of the customers at terminals in the stores;
• maintaining current online order counts for online orders that are pending and unfulfilled at the stores;
• receiving a store identifier for a given store and online order details for a pending ordering being processed by an online ordering application on behalf of a user;
• receiving a current location of a device associated with the online ordering application;
• filtering the stores into candidate stores based on the store identifier and based on known locations of the candidate stores being within a preconfigured distance of the current location;
• determining a target store to place the pending order with the order details based on the current customer queue counts and the current online order counts for the candidate stores;
• and
• routing the pending order with the order details to an order manager of the target store to place the pending order on behalf of the user and on behalf of the online ordering application.