The fries are golden brown. The wagyu blend burgers are juicy. Welcome to the world’s first robot restaurant.
From a report out this morning from NPR:
“What is believed to be the world’s first automated restaurant is opening in Pasadena, California.
Customers at the CaliExpress will order food from self-service kiosks and then watch as robots grind premium beef for their burger or cheeseburger and cook up their fries. The creators of the burger spot say it will be safer for employees and cut down on waste.”
How It Works
Technically, CaliExpress is not fully automated. The ordering and cooking are done automatically. But there are still a few employees.
Someone has to bring in supplies and clean up — for now.
The automation lets CaliExpress sell wagyu blend burgers for a similar price as regular burgers elsewhere. This is a preview of the cost savings that automation can provide.
Consider the countless costs taken out here: wages, health insurance, sick time, and random no shows. Robot restaurants may be cheaper and better.
About That Minimum Wage…
Automation is the inevitable result of skyrocketing labor costs. As of January 1st, fast food workers in California are entitled by law to a $20 an hour minimum wage.
When the law passed in September of 2022, I predicted automation and job losses on this blog. I even specifically called out Flippy.
Those predictions are coming true a lot faster than I expected.
Pizza Hut has already announced job cuts in California. Many more restaurants will follow, especially as these robots get cheaper.
The Next Generation of Robots
Single-purpose robots like those at CaliExpress are step one. For what they are, they’re impressive.
But Flippy is just for cooking, and only certain items. The next generation of robots can do anything you tell them.
Last week, a Stanford team unveiled a robot that can do a huge variety of physical tasks. It can make a multi-course meal, do the dishes, and even take out the trash. (I covered it on the blog here.)
Get the new Stanford robot, Mobile ALOHA, into CaliExpress and they can fire the few employees they have left.
Wrap-Up
These robots will cause huge job losses. And I say bring it on.
I know what you’re thinking — Francis, how can you cheer people losing their jobs?!
But I believe that people can and should do something more significant with their lives than frying potatoes and emptying the trash.
Let’s give humans significant work, like caring for the sick or creating things of beauty. Leave the fries to Flippy.
Would you eat at CaliExpress? Leave a comment and let us know!
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Is This the End of Manual Labor?
Elon Musk (Part 1): Overcoming the Odds
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