Fast-food giant Shake Shack has opened a new store that is operated by robots.
The new New York City location will have a workforce comprised of robots instead of human employees. The store will be equipped with robot ordering kiosks: patrons will place their orders on an app and receive alerts through a text message. The kiosks will only take credit cards and smartphones, meaning it will not accept cash.
“The Astor Place Shack will be a playground where we can test and learn the ever-shifting needs of our guests,” Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti told the New York Post. “[It] represents our dedication to innovation and to providing the best for our guests and for our teams.”
More from the newspaper:
Buzzers at the burger joint, which was founded by famed restaurateur Danny Meyer, will be replaced by text messages to alert diners when their food is ready.
The new notification model allows customers to roam outside the restaurant while waiting for their burgers, fries and shakes. When their order is ready, they pick it up at a counter.
The chain plans to use the Astor Place branch as a testing ground for the cashless kiosk model, which eliminates the job of cashier. It also gets rid of its traditional order placing area.
Shake Shack does say it will pay its human employees $15 an hour – if they can even find a job at the location
Once again, this is further evidence that automation is ramping up all over the United States and Canada, where there are many jurisdictions that have adopted $15 minimum wages. The only entities that benefit from a $15 minimum wage are unions and corporations.
Funny enough, former President Barack Obama praised the company for its high entry-level wages. Of course you can pay $15 per hour if you’re not hiring human employees.
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