Since the rise of the very vocal movement to hike the minimum wage, bloggers have been predicting increased mechanization of the fast food business accompanied by a decrease in the number of employees.
It's happening.
Meet Eatsa. It's a highly mechanized fast food joint currently with stations in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The customer uses tablet technology to place his order, and when his name pops up on a window, he opens the door and grabs his food.
The menu consists of quinoa (hipster rice) bowls with a variety of toppings chosen by the buyer. The price seems reasonable at $6.95 per bowl.
But it's not all robots. There are job openings for humans.
Actually, except for the tablet technology, the idea isn't exactly new. TCM fans may recall movies made in the '50s with scenes in cafes with similar food dispensing vending machines.
P.S. I haven't visited a Starbucks in a while, but that business seems like one that could easily transition to a vending machine dispensing system. That probably helps keep down the cost of a barista.
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