It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.

Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.

Thank you.

 

Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.

 

Fast Food Chain Adding Automated Kiosks to 1,000 of Its Restaurants in 2017

page: 1
9
<<   2  3  4 >>

log in

join
share:

posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 10:12 PM
link   


* Wendy's is the third largest burger chain in the world after McDonald's and Burger King, and their new self-serve kiosks could be the key to topping the charts.
* Scientists have predicted that automation would takeover jobs in many industries, and food service may be one of the first where robots are the most cost-effective and efficient.

Experts have predicted that machines will take over a good number of jobs in the next five to ten years, but for a Dublin-based Wendy’s the automation began last year with their self-ordering kiosks. The demand for the technology has been rather high, coming from both customers and franchise owners.

...Obviously, these kiosks would cut labor costs... (and) Younger customers prefer to use a kiosk.”

Fast Food Chain Adding Automated Kiosks to 1,000 of Its Restaurants in 2017

So fast food is going robotic. Wendy's is automating. Starting with 1,000 kiosks this year. Millennials prefer automated kiosks, and so do the restaurant owners: “They always are courteous. They always show up for work on time.” [haha]

I wonder how long it will take for McDonalds and Burger King to catch up. Much less than "five to ten years," methinks. ...That's a whole helluva lot of jobs.



Wendy’s is the third largest burger chain in the world, after McDonald’s and Burger King. In the United States, around 49 million consumers go to Wendy’s each month, and self-serve kiosks could definitely help those numbers climb higher.




posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 10:19 PM
link   
It goes in the chili...



For those of you unable to see the video, you're missing out.
A quick summary:

Wendy's Dave liked his square burger with pickles, mustard, and onions. Guy must have had awesome breath...
If you mess up frying a square burger, it's no big deal...it just goes in the chili.

edit on 28-2-2017 by the owlbear because: (no reason given)



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 10:23 PM
link   
Bye-Bye $15 an hour !!




posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 10:25 PM
link   
a reply to: soficrow

I find it interesting that the ones demanding higher wages for fast food workers are also the same ones that would rather go to an automated kiosk.



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 10:32 PM
link   
This is what happens when you try to force businesses to pay wages higher than what the market demands. In that article, it says each kiosk cost about $15k. If you are a restaurant owner, the return on investment is a no brainer. You could recoup your initial investment in less than a year.



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 10:44 PM
link   
A bunch of McDonalds already have those, and have for awhile.



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 10:50 PM
link   
a reply to: Edumakated


...In that article, it says each kiosk cost about $15k. If you are a restaurant owner, the return on investment is a no brainer. You could recoup your initial investment in less than a year.



Agreed. As you say, a no brainer. The goal of a corporation, overriding any and all other objectives, is to maximize profits - unlike the "Three Laws of Robotics," which put human health, well-being and safety first. ...Here's a thought experiment for you: Imagine the "Three Laws of Robotics" as the "Three Laws of Corporations," and think of how their practical application might look.


Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics"

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.








posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 10:55 PM
link   
McDs up here did it a year ago..you can build whatever burger with whatever toppings(more than regular menu) via the robot..a server will bring you your food though if you eat in..only catch is the robot does not take cash.
I have not used it.



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 10:55 PM
link   
a reply to: AdmireTheDistance


A bunch of McDonalds already have those, and have for awhile.



Yes, a "bunch." But not a thousand, soon to be many thousands. Likely within the next 2 to 3 years, not 5 to 10.

...Wendy's is rolling on automation. Won't be long before McDonalds and Burger King jump in with both feet too. Then - no more fast food jobs.

What do you think might happen to all those human workers? Where might they find other jobs?









posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 11:02 PM
link   

originally posted by: soficrow
a reply to: AdmireTheDistance


A bunch of McDonalds already have those, and have for awhile.



Yes, a "bunch." But not a thousand, soon to be many thousands. Likely within the next 2 to 3 years, not 5 to 10.

...Wendy's is rolling on automation. Won't be long before McDonalds and Burger King jump in with both feet too. Then - no more fast food jobs.

What do you think might happen to all those human workers? Where might they find other jobs?








That's "their fault" for not being smarter or applying themselves to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps", after all, look at all of the hard work illegal immigrants do for less money an hour...wait...scratch that last part...

/sarcasm off
edit on 28-2-2017 by the owlbear because: (no reason given)



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 11:05 PM
link   
a reply to: soficrow

So future jobs will be skilled jobs in kiosk repair and programming. It should pay much more than a fast food clerk considering kiosks will be a valuable part of the fast food business. Someone has to keep robots and other computer technology running. Moving from an unskilled to a skilled workforce isn't a bad thing.



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 11:09 PM
link   

originally posted by: the owlbear
It goes in the chili...



For those of you unable to see the video, you're missing out.
A quick summary:

Wendy's Dave liked his square burger with pickles, mustard, and onions. Guy must have had awesome breath...
If you mess up frying a square burger, it's no big deal...it just goes in the chili.


OMG that video is AWESOME.

Sending this one out to friends and fam for nostalgia.



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 11:12 PM
link   

originally posted by: soficrow
a reply to: AdmireTheDistance


A bunch of McDonalds already have those, and have for awhile.



Yes, a "bunch." But not a thousand, soon to be many thousands. Likely within the next 2 to 3 years, not 5 to 10


I dunno, I've been all over the UK over the past year, and must've been in about 100 McDonalds and they all had those touchscreen things.

I also witnessed every single time long lines at the counter to order with the self order things being all but ignored.

I used one once, it charged me 3 times and for some reason ordered me food that, because of my dietary choices, was for all intents and purposes inedible.

Somewhat related but a local supermarket recently closed because it had literally zero manned checkouts and only had self service things. As a consequence almost nobody went there and went to the nearby supermarket with manned counters. The competitor recently took on more staff as a result of the whole saga.
edit on -060011pm2kpm by Ohanka because: (no reason given)



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 11:13 PM
link   
Notice, it's kiosks and not robot cooks. If you eat at these places you like the food, if not the services.

Don't hate the cooks, hate the game.



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 11:15 PM
link   

originally posted by: ColdWisdom

originally posted by: the owlbear
It goes in the chili...



For those of you unable to see the video, you're missing out.
A quick summary:

Wendy's Dave liked his square burger with pickles, mustard, and onions. Guy must have had awesome breath...
If you mess up frying a square burger, it's no big deal...it just goes in the chili.


OMG that video is AWESOME.

Sending this one out to friends and fam for nostalgia.


All I can think of is that this was the drug screening test for new employees.



posted on Feb, 28 2017 @ 11:20 PM
link   
a reply to: Ohanka

I haven't eaten McDonalds in over 15 years.

And I'm damn proud of it.



posted on Mar, 1 2017 @ 12:20 AM
link   
RE: What do you think might happen to all those human workers? Where might they find other jobs?


originally posted by: the owlbear

originally posted by: soficrow
a reply to: AdmireTheDistance


A bunch of McDonalds already have those, and have for awhile.



Yes, a "bunch." But not a thousand, soon to be many thousands. Likely within the next 2 to 3 years, not 5 to 10.

...Wendy's is rolling on automation. Won't be long before McDonalds and Burger King jump in with both feet too. Then - no more fast food jobs.

What do you think might happen to all those human workers? Where might they find other jobs?








That's "their fault" for not being smarter or applying themselves to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps", after all, look at all of the hard work illegal immigrants do for less money an hour...wait...scratch that last part...

/sarcasm off


Huh? ...You might wanna catch up.

Is a Universal Basic Income(UBI) coming?

Robot taxes and universal basic income - How do we manage our automated future?



posted on Mar, 1 2017 @ 12:33 AM
link   



posted on Mar, 1 2017 @ 12:41 AM
link   

originally posted by: Edumakated
This is what happens when you try to force businesses to pay wages higher than what the market demands. In that article, it says each kiosk cost about $15k. If you are a restaurant owner, the return on investment is a no brainer. You could recoup your initial investment in less than a year.


yes most of us have heard that most people put the blame onto that $15/hour wage question hen McDonalds started to use self serve kiosks last year. yet the thing is these types of things take years to develop. they didn't just magically appear out of thin air when the question of raising the wage started. when the shop at the store i worked at got a computer system for work orders, it was only after they had been working on doing it for a couple years. and that was just to redo an already existing system. in fact it was a few years ago when i first heard of McDonalds was working on their self order kiosks. and that was after a couple trendy type small restaurants had started to use ipads or tablets in place of menus for customers to place their orders with. there was a fair amount of praise for the modern approach to ordering on tech sites. it was then that McDonalds announced they had already been working on their own system. the reality is that McDonalds was bringing out the self order kiosk in order to try and capture business from the younger "techy" generation by putting such a system into place. it was just convenient timing that their ordering system was ready for use when the question of the higher wage came out. this has nothing at all to do with wages going up, but everything to do with marketing and the normal business principal of cutting staff to make more profit, by having to pay less people. just like when the banks came out with the automated teller machines. in fact when they brought out the ATM's they said they would never charge fees for using them. because not only were the machines more convenient, but they could have less staff serving customers, so that would save the banks money since they wouldn't need to pay so many tellers.

from both experience and knowing people who work at these McDonalds, they have not cut the staff, or if they have it's like one or two people. even when people use the machines, it still takes the same staff to cook and serve the food. from my own experience, i have never seen anyone actually use the kiosk to order. it's more of a novelty thing than anything else. now Wendys is jumping on the bandwagon it seems.

personally i want to see how long it will take before they just get rid of the machines. the only way i can see them being used, is if they offer a decent discounted price for using them. i know the self serve checkouts at the store and the other stores in the area didn't last even a year before they got rid of them due to the major increase in theft from the store they caused. an increase that went away as soon as they got rid of them.



posted on Mar, 1 2017 @ 01:39 AM
link   
a reply to: soficrow

Even if minimum wage was $1/hour, this would still happen.



new topics

top topics



 
9
<<   2  3  4 >>

log in

join