Very interesting concept! I can see a few drawbacks, but the money that would be saved on waitstaff might convince a restaurant to bite on this. http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2007/08/30/german_restaura.html Quote from SciFi.com... "Bad news, waiters and waitresses: Your days are numbered. You're about to become obsolete, replaced by technology that can do your job more efficiently and without requiring tips. A new restaurant in Nuremberg, Germany, has replaced its waitstaff with a completely automated system that delivers meals to diners via a gravity-powered rail system." Restaurant website... http://www.sbaggers.de/main-ger/?sid=&lang=en <object width="425" height="353"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9M9eiZ_wSfI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9M9eiZ_wSfI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="353"></embed></object>
I'm sure any major company that would be able to afford this equipment in the first place could also afford the $2.83 per hour it costs to employ a server.
Alternatively, you could invest in a public address system and just call people's name/number when their order is ready.
Everything is at least double in europe. Also, many places in europe do not underpay their wait staff like the US does.
I think this is one of those predictions people made 100 years ago that has come true. Too bad the flying cars thing hasn't come about. But I'm sure its gonna happen in the next 25 years though!
Perhaps, but I'd love to go to a place and have food ready to order without having to pay the extra 15-20%. Considering how much of a culture it is in America to tip, I think this would work brilliantly.
Wow, I'd have trouble imagining waitstaff in Europe only starting around $5(is that about $2.5 euros?). US waiters make only 2 bucks in salary because they take in tips. Well, from a consumer standpoint, having an automated restaurant in the US saves tip money(unless you're an a-hole who don't tip). Which makes the restaurant more attractive from a price standpoint.
it's called jack in the box. you should know. seriously though, i only looked at the video, the restaurant website is actually pretty interesting. it'd be a neat place to eat but it'll never replace human interaction or what a good waiter is worth.
It's not a culture. Tipping has only been made necessary because waiters in America are so underpaid. Tipping should be optional - offered when excellence is presented. When a waiter does what he/she is SUPPOSED to do, pay them the appropriate wage. Low wages + the need for tips is just a way of diverting that cost to customers. Smart for a business man in a way. But I'm sure both waiters and customers would rather have the appropriate cost tabbed onto the prices on the menu which would in turn allow the employer to pay more basic wages. This gets rid of that process where a customer has to decide what's appropriate, and the waiter/waitress decides what's accepteable.
A good waiter only has value in comparison to a bad waiter. Given the option of removing the server from the equation, I would do it every time.
Sorry to bump an old thread but I'm trying to get my bf to buy me tix to this.. my question is.. could he come along or is it closed doors except for the few female participants?? I'm sure he'd want to watch if he buys them for me.
^^ OOps.. this post was supposed to be in the "female practice 101" thread. I don't know how in the world it ended up here. I'll copy and paste the post on that thread.
