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The sceptic in me wonders how much capital the fast food industry is willing to invest to replace cheap labor. I'm not really arguing with you just reflecting o

The sceptic in me wonders how much capital the fast food industry is willing to invest to replace cheap labor. I'm not really arguing with you just reflecting on my own experiences with current start of the art tech. "Did you say at fries to that?" No "Added 27 orders of fries, anything else" Arghhhh!

gremlinsinc 6y ago
w/ touch screen you don't need to 'speak' unless maybe blind or something... So, you could be more accurate.. I mean I ALWAYS use mobile ordering now when going through drive through. I'll pull over, sit for a moment, place my order, then get in line.
- yurishimo 6y ago
  Since COVID started I've been using some mobile ordering apps more and more. One of my new favorites is Whataburger here in Texas. Texans know that Whataburger is infamous for being slow since everything is made to order. In-n-Out has figured it out but Whataburger is still so slow for some reason. With the app, I can place an order in my driveway, then arrive at the drive thru about the time its ready. If I'm lucky, I can skip the line and pull up and have it brought out in a few minutes. What used to be a 20 minute parking lot wait crawling through the line is now 5~ minutes. Sometimes if it's busy or late at night and they don't have as many staff, I have to wait my turn in line, but I'm usually not sitting for 5 minutest at the window after paying waiting for the grill. Oh and that's another benefit. Apple Pay makes it seamless to place an order and not deal with CCs that are wearing out being declined. My biggest complaint is still being required to download a separate app for each restaurant, but for now I can tuck them all away into a folder and forget they exist. If an app isn't in my home screen, I'm going to open it from a spotlight search. For restaurants I don't visit as frequently, I'll call them and place an order for pickup. This also has the benefit of not incurring many of the BS fees that specialty online ordering platforms charge. It's going to take me a few minutes to order anyway, app or call, so I might as well save 10% by calling.
  - thaumasiotes 6y ago
    > Texans know that Whataburger is infamous for being slow since everything is made to order. In-n-Out has figured it out but Whataburger is still so slow for some reason. The analysis is obviously incomplete. Making your order to order, in a timely fashion, was the point that distinguished Burger King from McDonald's.
    - yurishimo 6y ago
      Un-lucky for you, I am uniquely qualified to rebuttal this with evidence from my time working at Burger King. Very rarely was the burger cooked to order. Assembled, yes, but the cooking was done in a giant broiler machine with a conveyer belt and the patties were stored in heated containers for up to 2-3 hours until you ordered it.
      - thaumasiotes 6y ago
        This doesn't conflict with my pre-existing idea of Burger King, though it might be a difference between Burger King and Whataburger.
petra 6y ago
Investors will provide the capital, robots/software can be hired.
PeterisP 6y ago
They're not willing to invest much, but the required hardware is getting cheaper all the time, and the required software has enormous economies of scale - you can spread the development cost across many thousands of restaurants worldwide.

gremlinsinc 6y ago

w/ touch screen you don't need to 'speak' unless maybe blind or something... So, you could be more accurate.. I mean I ALWAYS use mobile ordering now when going through drive through. I'll pull over, sit for a moment, place my order, then get in line.

yurishimo 6y ago
Since COVID started I've been using some mobile ordering apps more and more. One of my new favorites is Whataburger here in Texas. Texans know that Whataburger is infamous for being slow since everything is made to order. In-n-Out has figured it out but Whataburger is still so slow for some reason. With the app, I can place an order in my driveway, then arrive at the drive thru about the time its ready. If I'm lucky, I can skip the line and pull up and have it brought out in a few minutes. What used to be a 20 minute parking lot wait crawling through the line is now 5~ minutes. Sometimes if it's busy or late at night and they don't have as many staff, I have to wait my turn in line, but I'm usually not sitting for 5 minutest at the window after paying waiting for the grill. Oh and that's another benefit. Apple Pay makes it seamless to place an order and not deal with CCs that are wearing out being declined. My biggest complaint is still being required to download a separate app for each restaurant, but for now I can tuck them all away into a folder and forget they exist. If an app isn't in my home screen, I'm going to open it from a spotlight search. For restaurants I don't visit as frequently, I'll call them and place an order for pickup. This also has the benefit of not incurring many of the BS fees that specialty online ordering platforms charge. It's going to take me a few minutes to order anyway, app or call, so I might as well save 10% by calling.
- thaumasiotes 6y ago
  > Texans know that Whataburger is infamous for being slow since everything is made to order. In-n-Out has figured it out but Whataburger is still so slow for some reason. The analysis is obviously incomplete. Making your order to order, in a timely fashion, was the point that distinguished Burger King from McDonald's.
  - yurishimo 6y ago
    Un-lucky for you, I am uniquely qualified to rebuttal this with evidence from my time working at Burger King. Very rarely was the burger cooked to order. Assembled, yes, but the cooking was done in a giant broiler machine with a conveyer belt and the patties were stored in heated containers for up to 2-3 hours until you ordered it.
    - thaumasiotes 6y ago
      This doesn't conflict with my pre-existing idea of Burger King, though it might be a difference between Burger King and Whataburger.

petra 6y ago

Investors will provide the capital, robots/software can be hired.

PeterisP 6y ago

They're not willing to invest much, but the required hardware is getting cheaper all the time, and the required software has enormous economies of scale - you can spread the development cost across many thousands of restaurants worldwide.