Posted on 07/05/2021 3:15:14 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
A fast-food franchisee says she's turning to automated drive-thrus to solve her labor shortage, rather than offering a $15 hourly wage to attract new staff.
Shana Gonzales, a Checkers franchisee who owns four restaurants in the Atlanta area, told The New York Times that she wanted to hire more workers, but that it wouldn't be profitable. She said raising wages to $14 or $15 would allow her to fully staff her restaurants - but that she'd have to raise menu prices, which could deter customers.
Instead, she's turning to automated technology, such as voice-recognition drive-thrus, to keep business booming, she said.
The US is suffering from a severe shortage of workers, and restaurants have been especially hard hit. The US Chamber of Commerce has called the shortage a "national economic emergency" and warned it could hold back the recovery from the pandemic.
Gonzales told The Times that she had raised wages to around $10 for entry-level workers, from around $9 pre-pandemic. But she found it difficult to find enough workers to meet soaring fast-food demand during the pandemic, she said, and had to work behind the cash register herself.
"We really felt like there has to be another solution," she said.
She turned to automation. In December, she started using technology from Valyant AI, a startup that makes voice-recognition systems for restaurants, to take orders at one of her drive-thru lanes. The technology takes orders, including noting modifications and suggesting add-ons, and feeds this directly to the kitchen and cashier.
Gonzales is planning to roll out Valyant's technology at her three other restaurants, she said.
"We'll look back and say why didn't we do this sooner," she told The Times.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
At the end of the day, customers will prefer it.
You want some more
Robots won’t spit in your food.
For the most part in fast food, I am for automation.
The inflation that will follow insane debt levels will wipe out any increases to minimum wages, in just a few years.
Meanwhile, benefits reductions and claw-backs will more than offset any increase in minimum wages, for anyone who actually supports themselves from their wages (teens, living at home, will be flush).
The Japanese have vending machine for EVERYTHING
Lol!
At the end of the day, customers will prefer it.
I’m not so sure....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW-4LU79qbU
People who are not computer literate, who think computers and computerized machines will magically solve all of their problems, usually end up wasting more money than if they just hired some flunkies to do the work. What happens when the magical drive thru computers inevitably stop working? The people who fix that will cost a LOT more that $15/hr. Often as not, these days, the magical gadgets and contraptions are DESIGNED to break down to create a “revenue stream” for the poor starving tech company. Ask the McDeath franchisees how well their ice cream machines work. LOL!
Proving once again that the real minimum wage is $0.
A lot of places are raising their wages but folks still want to sit on their asses at home collecting unemployment. They’re stupid because once their money stops coming in, the wages will fall once employers don’t have the government to compete with.
Lol!
Need underwear , you’re covered ,LOL
Unexpected. s/
Not true. Just saw someone sitting at a street corner collecting dollas. His sign - 'out of work'.
Went to McDonalds the other day just to get a fillet o’ fish. could not believe the prices. Have not eaten there in years: filet o’ fish-5.95, big Mac was 9.00. that food is not worth taht price, and it was fully automated.
Went to McDonalds the other day just to get a fillet o’ fish. could not believe the prices. Have not eaten there in years: filet o’ fish-5.95, big Mac was 9.00. that food is not worth taht price, and it was fully automated.
When I was in Army Individual Training, (AIT) at Fort Jackson, SC in 1979, we had BEER vending machines in our Day Room!
This Milwaukee born & raised Yankee thought that was the Best. Thing. Ever. EVER! ;)
As a life long accounting person-—I applaud her.
Employees can be a liability
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