from Hacker News

Minimum-wage push could bring robots to restaurants

by russ5russ on 8/17/15, 12:10 PM with 12 comments

  • by onion2k on 8/17/15, 12:22 PM

    Robots are the excuse, not the reason. The fact is, a robot is cheaper than a $15/hour burger-flipping employee, but it's also cheaper than a $7.50/hour employee, so the automation is practically inevitable. All the robot 'cost savings' are coming regardless, and fewer people will be employed (or they'll change employment to something else).

    The only reason to keep wages low is to save money on the salary costs of jobs where a robot can't replace a human. Arguing that wages shouldn't go up for those people who robots won't replace only serves to protect profits and income for the people at the top.

  • by JoeAltmaier on 8/17/15, 3:52 PM

    I look forward to an entirely robotic fast-food joint. Drive up, wave your rfid card, get a list of your last 5 menu choices, poke at one, food comes out the slot in a bag. No human involved.

  • by illegalsmile on 8/17/15, 7:00 PM

    Restaurant means different things to different people. To me, I do not care if a fast food establishment (McDonald's, Qdoba, Panera, etc...) replaces workers with robots. The food and experience already feels autonomous and disconnected.

    I do not see robots replacing servers at non-fast food places for a long time if ever.

    They bring up grocery stores but I think most employees, especially check out clerks, will be replaced by machines. As much as I love to talk to the older person about their grandkids while they, slowly, scan my items I would be OK with dumping my items onto a tray and having the machine do all the work. Almost like self checkout except for a robot replacing me.

  • by silveira on 8/17/15, 2:27 PM

    Robots are comming to restaurants regardless. There is already touch kiosks where you can order in some restaurants, there is one at a Panera Bread near me, and many in some airports.

  • by eli_gottlieb on 8/17/15, 12:43 PM

    Woohoo! About time we got to automating the tedium away!