Robots Are Replacing Fast Food Workers At New Shake Shack

[Purveyor]

It's the future of fast food bytes in the Big Apple.

Robots will replace humans and cash won’t be accepted at a soon-to-open Shake Shack in the East Village, reps for the popular burger chain said Monday.

Customers will place orders via an app and at touch-screen kiosks inside the restaurant, which is scheduled to open an Astor Place branch later this month, according to company CEO Randy Garutti.

Workers dubbed “hospitality champs” will guide diners through possible tech glitches as they place orders at the kiosks, which only accept credit cards.

Diners can also pay on smartphones and tablets using the restaurant’s app.

more...

http://nypost.com/2017/10/02/robots-are-replacing-fast-food-workers-at-new-shake-shack/

[Demsrule86]

1. We have had these sort of things before ....vending machines basically and not worth any

amount of money. I won't be going to places that use this system.

[Purveyor]

2. Ive seen the technology and it is hardly just "vending machines". I'll use

them when available in our area. No snotty employees with filthy hands and always accurate orders. I'm in...

[kcr]

3. I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't believe they're completely human-free.

Someone will be processing the order and cooking the food. But it's not like computers and machines are magically and wonderfully free of human error. Humans make them, program them, and operate them.

[Purveyor]

5. Yes there will be some people loading product, maintaining the equipment and assisting

the less than tech savy customers, cleaning tables and emptying the trash.

That said, the number of staff required to run the joint will be greatly reduced.

Once the cost of converting these fast food joints to automation, it will sweep the industry not unlike what has happened in the auto industry which is now turning quality vehicles that just wasn't happening pre-robotics.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. So snotty employees will be touching the food.

There is still hope for spit.

[Purveyor]

17. Perhaps but because they don't have to put up with ornery pukes such as myself and

paid better, as they will actually have to learn the technology, motivation to "spit" would be greatly reduced. Not saying out of the realm of possibility but...

[TheFrenchRazor]

28. so you think they'll pass that savings along as employee raises? hahahaha. nt

[brush]

4. Ahhh...who do you think is going to cook the food?

[Purveyor]

6. The bots do it quite efficiently. Doesn't take magic to make this happen.

[brush]

11. Nope, the cooks will be human.

[Purveyor]

13. No they won't, in a fast food situation. Research the topic. nt

[brush]

18. I did. It's right on google. Seems the move is to eliminated counter people.

[Demsrule86]

36. I won't ever use them.

[logosoco]

7. I think maybe "automation" may be a better term than robots.

But I guess it is not as catchy and does not fit the headline.

Robots are getting more and more advanced, but I am not sure they can cook food on that level (yet).

[Purveyor]

8. Doesn't take much to cook food at a fast food joint at "that level". eom

[Amishman]

9. yup, the future is coming. We need UBI

[Purveyor]

10. No argument here. Something well have to compensate. nt

[HughBeaumont]

15. We needed UBI 10 years ago. We're not going to GET UBI.

We're going to get "Hellscape".

Not even enough congressional Democrats are on board with UBI.

We're expected to just "Rugged Individualize" our futures . . . cost of college, lack of demand and job scarcity be damned . . . and that's simply THAT.

[area51]

34. +1 n/t

[JI7]

12. This is where we are headed. The best is to accept it and come up

With ways of supporting the population where jobs will not be available.

If people can do this it can be a good thing where people can use their time to do good things.

[HughBeaumont]

21. "The best" being the operative words.

Good luck selling that plan to America's wealthy and upper middle classes, who are doing their damnedest NOT to be taxed.

Plus, with no revenue coming in due to millions of people that have no ability to consume and/or are shut out of the scarce job market, how is it getting paid for?

[Demsrule86]

37. It will never happen...people will starve first.

[cwydro]

16. I never eat fast food.

So I really couldn't care less about robots in fast food places.

The last time I had a fast food item was years ago, and it made me sick. Never ever again.

[Purveyor]

19. I get this Big Mac craving about twice a year. Worse than crack, they...

[cwydro]

24. Lol, my mom was the same. Just a sudden craving.

She died at 90 last February, and I miss her immensely.

She would look up at me and say "I want a McDonalds burger and French fries."

And off I'd go to get them.

[USALiberal]

22. It would be unusual if all fast food made you sick, see a doctor maybe. nt

[cwydro]

25. Nah, the THOUGHT of it makes me sick.

I'm quite healthy, but thanks.

[bettyellen]

26. Shake Shack is super high quality ingredients and tasty combos- they have lines around the block at

Lunch time, so I can see why they'd try to automate it- people will use the app a lot. I can't go there when I'm pressed for time because even after the line it's another 5+ minutes for food. Can't fit that into a short lunch time.

[cwydro]

27. I don't think we have those in NC.

I've got friends who rave about Cookout, but I just cannot eat fast food.

Probably because I worked in a fast food place in my teens...you do NOT even want to know what I saw happening there. Lol.

[bettyellen]

29. They're wonderful! Mostly near parks in urban areas and delish soft ice cream and shakes -

They also sell some good local beers, cheese fries w real cheese. They open for lunch but you can smell them grilling the fancy bacon for the burgers early before they open up. Good stuff. But yeah, you can't do a lot of it.

[cwydro]

30. I'll keep that in mind!

I do like food lol!

[bettyellen]

31. They're expanding a lot, so check their website for cities you might visit. Def worth the trip- and

Get a shake or concrete. Totally amazing ice cream and topping combos going on there.

[cwydro]

32. I should google.

I live near a large city.

Thanks for the tip!

[bettyellen]

33. Totally. While I hear the idea of losing counter staff, I think they can just expand the cooking and

Packing ops and sell faster (and more) put of their existing spaces. They're always sooo busy. They give you a number and a buzzer pager thing and you have to wait for the buzz to go off and pick up elsewhere. I guess they'll keep that part.

[haveahart]

20. That's ok so long as the robots are not Mexican.

[USALiberal]

23. Car wash, ATMs, Self Checkout, Etc. You can't and should not stop progress. nt

[crazycatlady]

35. Ever been to a Wawa?

You can order sandwiches and other hot food on a touchscreen kiosk. Workers still prepare the food.