The thought of being served a meal by a robot seems like something out of a science fiction novel, but it may soon become a reality according to this report by the Washington Post.
America's fast food industry is in the midst of a labor crisis as workers throughout the country have staged protests, demanding that the minimum wage be increased to $15. The movement has already gained some traction, with cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles already on board.
In late July, The state of New York also adjusted, bumping their fast food workers' wages from $8.75 to the requested $15.
The Washington Post says that legislation like this may soon lead major fast food companies to consider alternative means of getting food to customers.
Their figures show that 30% of the restaurant industry's expenses come from salaries. If those wages were to increase nationwide the way they did in New York, the possibility of robot servers and mechanized burger flipping arms handling your food may increase significantly.
Harold Miller, a consultant in the industry told the paper, "The problem with the minimum-wage offensive is that it throws the accounting of the restaurant industry totally upside down."
Robert Bleu, another industry professional says, "For our operation, we're not buying entry-level labor, but if entry-level labor goes up a huge amount, everything goes up."
Of course, no robot will ever be able to replace the personal touch of a human server. Could you imagine trying to send back an undercooked steak through a machine? Could a solution like this be the answer?
Some restaurateurs are already pre-empting this impending change in the industry and changing their business model to match.
Back in June, we reported the story of Kurt Huffman, an Oregon proprietor who is offering a $15 starting salary to servers at one of his new restaurants. To compensate for the higher wages, Huffman said he would be increasing the price of beer at his establishments.
Will customers have to start paying more to support the higher salaries of the people cooking and serving their food, or will they be content with an industry run by robots? We'll have to wait and see.
