Buffalo Wild Wings - Tablets at every table (1 Viewer)

[SeveredHorseHeads]

What the hell does this have to do with minimum wage? People don't want to place an order with another person when its so much easier to just do it via machine. Self service features at supermarkets and places like quikcheck, sheetz and wawa are wonderful.

Yes, exactly, but with all of them (which I use as a matter of convenience, as apparently you do as well), fewer people have jobs.

This happens in every industry when efficiency improvements are made. We don't have a bunch of people sitting at typewriters typing out memos in triplicate anymore either. Somehow we have survived.

 

[matttyl]

So ridiculous to jump right to political ACA and minimum wage crap, and so typical of the FFA

You think the cost of employment increasing isn't causing an increase in automation at your bank, grocery store, and now restaurant?

 

[matttyl]

What the hell does this have to do with minimum wage? People don't want to place an order with another person when its so much easier to just do it via machine. Self service features at supermarkets and places like quikcheck, sheetz and wawa are wonderful.

Yes, exactly, but with all of them (which I use as a matter of convenience, as apparently you do as well), fewer people have jobs.

This happens in every industry when efficiency improvements are made. We don't have a bunch of people sitting at typewriters typing out memos in triplicate anymore either. Somehow we have survived.

Exactly, and just like all the typists back in the day, now waiters (like like tellers at the bank, check out people at the grocery store, and others) will have to find a different job. I have no doubt "we will survive", just pointing out (like you just did yourself) that when a word processing computer came along - lots of people had to find new employment. It was much cheaper to buy one computer than to have 3 typists.

 

[B-Deep]

So ridiculous to jump right to political ACA and minimum wage crap, and so typical of the FFA

You think the cost of employment increasing isn't causing an increase in automation at your bank, grocery store, and now restaurant?

I am sure if we just flip from one side to another everyone will be happy, fill in whichever side of the aisle you want

I am sure if ACA gets repealed and the minimum wage goes down there will be no desire to reduce labor costs, automation of jobs (IF that is what this is) is a pretty new concept that was born out of the cost of the ACA

I am sure we've all seen BW3s business plan for this and know exactly how it is going to work and what their goals are.I am sure this is not some attempt to make more money by hawking table games and raising revenue making over indulging even easier by putting it at your greasy finger tips. It is all about robotizing the wing business to eliminate jobs.

I see the long soup kitchen lines of the fully automated chilis restaurants and gorcery stores, can tell where this is going to go.

yes my first thought when i read this is one side or the other totally screwed america up and that is the story, not how sticky ### wings and touch screen tablets seem like a match made in Lhucks brain,.

 

[B-Deep]

What the hell does this have to do with minimum wage? People don't want to place an order with another person when its so much easier to just do it via machine. Self service features at supermarkets and places like quikcheck, sheetz and wawa are wonderful.

Yes, exactly, but with all of them (which I use as a matter of convenience, as apparently you do as well), fewer people have jobs.

This happens in every industry when efficiency improvements are made. We don't have a bunch of people sitting at typewriters typing out memos in triplicate anymore either. Somehow we have survived.

Exactly, and just like all the typists back in the day, now waiters (like like tellers at the bank, check out people at the grocery store, and others) will have to find a different job. I have no doubt "we will survive", just pointing out (like you just did yourself) that when a word processing computer came along - lots of people had to find new employment. It was much cheaper to buy one computer than to have 3 typists.

and the computer had 0 to do with minimum wage or democarts or republicans or ACA or welfare or any of that crap

 

[Brony]

So ridiculous to jump right to political ACA and minimum wage crap, and so typical of the FFA

You think the cost of employment increasing isn't causing an increase in automation at your bank, grocery store, and now restaurant?

MatttttyL

 

[B-Deep]

So ridiculous to jump right to political ACA and minimum wage crap, and so typical of the FFA

You think the cost of employment increasing isn't causing an increase in automation at your bank, grocery store, and now restaurant?

i have been seeing that since, well, FOREVER!!!!

ATMs were not invented to combat the ACA, sorry to break it to you

 

[Black Box]

I see the long soup kitchen lines of the fully automated chilis restaurants and gorcery stores, can tell where this is going to go.

I think it is going to go to fully automated soup kitchen lines. Who needs the volunteers anyway?

 

[matttyl]

What the hell does this have to do with minimum wage? People don't want to place an order with another person when its so much easier to just do it via machine. Self service features at supermarkets and places like quikcheck, sheetz and wawa are wonderful.

Yes, exactly, but with all of them (which I use as a matter of convenience, as apparently you do as well), fewer people have jobs.

This happens in every industry when efficiency improvements are made. We don't have a bunch of people sitting at typewriters typing out memos in triplicate anymore either. Somehow we have survived.

Exactly, and just like all the typists back in the day, now waiters (like like tellers at the bank, check out people at the grocery store, and others) will have to find a different job. I have no doubt "we will survive", just pointing out (like you just did yourself) that when a word processing computer came along - lots of people had to find new employment. It was much cheaper to buy one computer than to have 3 typists.

and the computer had 0 to do with minimum wage or democarts or republicans or ACA or welfare or any of that crap

Right, "any of that other crap" isn't only accelerating the "issue" (if you want to call it that) already at hand.

 

[cstu]

I hate to say it, but this is what happens when employing people gets to be too expensive with higher minimum wage and higher health care costs.

Most servers/waiters get far less than minimum wage and almost none of them get health insurance.

In my area its about two something an hour.

$9 in CA.

 

[matttyl]

So ridiculous to jump right to political ACA and minimum wage crap, and so typical of the FFA

You think the cost of employment increasing isn't causing an increase in automation at your bank, grocery store, and now restaurant?

i have been seeing that since, well, FOREVER!!!!

ATMs were not invented to combat the ACA, sorry to break it to you

You don't think they were invented to replace the teller and their cost? After all, it is called the automated teller machine....

 

[encaitar]

It's a logical step, no matter what the effect will be on jobs. This reduces the chances for an incorrect order and it allows people to order when they're ready, not whenever the waiter decides to show up to their table.

Honestly, we need to realize that computers are going to become more and more involved in our lives as they increase efficiency and convenience for us. Instead of whining about how their use costs jobs, we should be anticipating this and evolving with it.

 

[cstu]

Basically, waiters/waitresses are Tom from "Office Space", taking the specs from the customers to the engineers. "I HAVE PEOPLE SKILLS!!!"

Waitresses, you won't be missed.

 

[B-Deep]

What the hell does this have to do with minimum wage? People don't want to place an order with another person when its so much easier to just do it via machine. Self service features at supermarkets and places like quikcheck, sheetz and wawa are wonderful.

Yes, exactly, but with all of them (which I use as a matter of convenience, as apparently you do as well), fewer people have jobs.

This happens in every industry when efficiency improvements are made. We don't have a bunch of people sitting at typewriters typing out memos in triplicate anymore either. Somehow we have survived.

Exactly, and just like all the typists back in the day, now waiters (like like tellers at the bank, check out people at the grocery store, and others) will have to find a different job. I have no doubt "we will survive", just pointing out (like you just did yourself) that when a word processing computer came along - lots of people had to find new employment. It was much cheaper to buy one computer than to have 3 typists.

and the computer had 0 to do with minimum wage or democarts or republicans or ACA or welfare or any of that crap

Right, "any of that other crap" isn't only accelerating the "issue" (if you want to call it that) already at hand.

So ridiculous to jump right to political ACA and minimum wage crap, and so typical of the FFA

You think the cost of employment increasing isn't causing an increase in automation at your bank, grocery store, and now restaurant?

i have been seeing that since, well, FOREVER!!!!

ATMs were not invented to combat the ACA, sorry to break it to you

You don't think they were invented to replace the teller and their cost? After all, it is called the automated teller machine....

yes

i blame Obama for ATMs and grocery store self checkout and automated check in at airports, what a damn *******, if only he was not a socialist my life would be filled with so many more person to person interactions

lets cancel the ACA, reduce minimum wage, and watch as automation dies the slow painful death it is destined to die once we remove the current party and replace it with a different one

i cannot believe freaking tablets at BW3 is a politics issue here, everything is!!!

Someone, please blame Champ Bailey's release on either Obama or the GOP controlled house, it absolutely HAS to be one of their faults, everything is

 

[B-Deep]

It's a logical step, no matter what the effect will be on jobs. This reduces the chances for an incorrect order and it allows people to order when they're ready, not whenever the waiter decides to show up to their table.

Honestly, we need to realize that computers are going to become more and more involved in our lives as they increase efficiency and convenience for us. Instead of whining about how their use costs jobs, we should be anticipating this and evolving with it.

it also makes people more likely to spend money on games and impulse buys of food.

 

[cstu]

You know what this is?

 

[FreeBaGeL]

This day in age, I have no idea why this isn't already a standard at most places. Odd that a wing place, where your hands are going to be covered in succulent hot sauce, is the place to finally get this going.

 

[B-Deep]

This day in age, I have no idea why this isn't already a standard at most places. Odd that a wing place, where your hands are going to be covered in succulent hot sauce, is the place to finally get this going.

they are not

chilis is already doing it and the company has a lot of other clients. and none of this means that IF this is successful some jobs won't be lost. What it means is there are a lot of reasons to do this and replacing all waiters and waitreesses is really not necissarly a driving factor. You are still going to need people to answer questions, to assist those who cannot or will not use the tablets, and to make it seem more welcoming. Labor is certainly a factor, but to say the ACA is driving this is just being a political hack.

The tablets are made by a Dallas company called Ziosk and also can be found at some Applebee’s (DIN) and Uno Chicago Grill restaurants. Here’s a look at the consumer psychology by which a glowing screen discreetly encourages diners to spend more.

STORY: E-Cigarettes at Dinner? No Problem at These Top Smoke-Free Restaurants
1. Leaving bigger tips by default. Despite being less reliant on waiters, diners end up tipping about 15 percent more on average, according to data from Ziosk. At Chili’s, for instance, the default suggestion on the tablet is set at 20 percent—a generosity-enhancing strategy that has also proven effective in New York City taxis, which are now equipped with back seat monitors. At the table, diners can go lower or higher than the suggested tip before paying—but unless the service was awful, who wants to be a Scrooge?

2. A bigger appetite for appetizers. Ever arrive at a restaurant starving? By eliminating the wait for a menu, tablet can boost impulse orders at the start of the meal—especially when photos of appetizers are streaming across monitors. Ziosk says tablets have increased starters sales by 20 percent at restaurants that offer them, although Chili’s hasn’t put its appetizer menu on the tablets.

3. Overcoming resistance to dessert. Those table-top tablet screens are a constant temptation. At Chili’s, pictures of molten chocolate cake and other sweets pop up while diners are still on the main course. Dessert sales are up about 20 percent as a result, the company said, and customers are ordering more coffee, too. Ziosk says that overall, its devices boosted clients’ dessert orders by about 30 percent.

STORY: The Rise of the Retailer-Restaurant
4. Paying to keep the kids busy. Chili’s offers unlimited games on the tablets for $0.99, and the chain shares this revenue with Ziosk. The restaurant says about customers at one in 10 tables pay to play during the meal, providing an additional source of revenue and perhaps even a few minutes of distraction in which weary parents can finish their meal.

5. Despite the extra eating and entertainment, diners get out faster.Ziosk estimates that its system can shave up to five minutes off the meal since diners don’t have to ask for the bill or wait for change. That doesn’t sound like much, but during busy lunch hours, this can help restaurants increase traffic, says John Regal, chief marketing officer.

 

[belljr]

Red Robin ALREADY does this... it was a small pain but not all orders can be done on the pad. But paying the check was the best thing about it

 

[FreeBaGeL]

It's a logical step, no matter what the effect will be on jobs. This reduces the chances for an incorrect order and it allows people to order when they're ready, not whenever the waiter decides to show up to their table.

Honestly, we need to realize that computers are going to become more and more involved in our lives as they increase efficiency and convenience for us. Instead of whining about how their use costs jobs, we should be anticipating this and evolving with it.

it also makes people more likely to spend money on games and impulse buys of food.

Good point. I can't count the number of times I wanted to order another beer but ended up passing because, by the time the waiter got there, I was almost done with my food and ready for the check.

 

[B-Deep]

It's a logical step, no matter what the effect will be on jobs. This reduces the chances for an incorrect order and it allows people to order when they're ready, not whenever the waiter decides to show up to their table.

Honestly, we need to realize that computers are going to become more and more involved in our lives as they increase efficiency and convenience for us. Instead of whining about how their use costs jobs, we should be anticipating this and evolving with it.

it also makes people more likely to spend money on games and impulse buys of food.

Good point. I can't count the number of times I wanted to order another beer but ended up passing because, by the time the waiter got there, I was almost done with my food and ready for the check.

this is like adding in app purchases to your dinner.

I wonder how long before these things start scrolling ads for local businesses. The money making potential of these is pretty damn high, if people accept them.

I dunno if it is a great idea or if it sucks, I'd probably have to interact with one to see.

 

[matttyl]

Someone, please blame Champ Bailey's release on either Obama or the GOP controlled house, it absolutely HAS to be one of their faults, everything is

I never said anything about Obama. You're the one who brought him to this discussion.

 

[B-Deep]

http://blog.pennlive.com/tech/2013/08/red_robins_ziosk.html

a review of red robin's version, it includes this information:

She also explained to us the device has games which we could play. For $1.99 the gameplay is unlimited until you pay the bill.

how many kids will talk their parents into this, or how many parents will buy it to shut up noisy kids and eat peacfully. It is only 2 bucks, that is less than the cost of a pop!

 

[igbomb]

I hate to say it, but this is what happens when employing people gets to be too expensive with higher minimum wage and higher health care costs.

Most servers/waiters get far less than minimum wage and almost none of them get health insurance.

True but with Obamacare in place alot of these chains will now have to provide health insurance to their waitstaff.

This. This is what people don't realize when they make all these cries to increase minimum wage. Businesses can only support a certain level of employee costs. If you forcibly raise the cost of overall compensation to employees (via minimum wage, required benefits, etc), most companies will compensate by cutting jobs.

The end result? The folks who keep their jobs will make more, but there will be more people without jobs. Narrowing the wage gap in some ways...widening it in others.

That's great and all but has absolutely nothing to do with this particular endeavor.

As someone astutely pointed out before, waitstaff makes far less than minimum wage and rarely get health insurance. So let's not be so hasty to blame this on socialist economic policies. It's the march of efficiency that has been going on in this country since its inception.

 

[B-Deep]

Someone, please blame Champ Bailey's release on either Obama or the GOP controlled house, it absolutely HAS to be one of their faults, everything is

I never said anything about Obama. You're the one who brought him to this discussion.

I most certainly did not bring Obama into the conversation, that happened well before i got here

 

[RUSF18]

It's a logical step, no matter what the effect will be on jobs. This reduces the chances for an incorrect order and it allows people to order when they're ready, not whenever the waiter decides to show up to their table.

Honestly, we need to realize that computers are going to become more and more involved in our lives as they increase efficiency and convenience for us. Instead of whining about how their use costs jobs, we should be anticipating this and evolving with it.

it also makes people more likely to spend money on games and impulse buys of food.

Good point. I can't count the number of times I wanted to order another beer but ended up passing because, by the time the waiter got there, I was almost done with my food and ready for the check.

this is like adding in app purchases to your dinner.

I wonder how long before these things start scrolling ads for local businesses. The money making potential of these is pretty damn high, if people accept them.

I dunno if it is a great idea or if it sucks, I'd probably have to interact with one to see.

Probably not very long...I know NJ diners used to always have local ads filling up the paper placemats. This is just the next step.

Scrolling sports scores on the bottom of the screen would be another good method of keeping eyes on the equipment where people can spend more money. Even if I'm in a sports bar where multiple games are on, I'm frequently still checking my phone for a particular score that I'm not seeing.

 

[B-Deep]

lets just stop the madness before they put tablets in Hooters

 

[matttyl]

Someone, please blame Champ Bailey's release on either Obama or the GOP controlled house, it absolutely HAS to be one of their faults, everything is

I never said anything about Obama. You're the one who brought him to this discussion.

I most certainly did not bring Obama into the conversation, that happened well before i got here

You were the first to bring up Obama (not Obamacare) in post #65. You also brought up "Republicans and Democrats" for some reason in post #56, making this extremely political.

 

[phrozen]

I hate to say it, but this is what happens when employing people gets to be too expensive with higher minimum wage and higher health care costs. There are over 1,000 "B-dubs" in the US alone.

http://www.fastcasual.com/article/228891/Buffalo-Wild-Wings-launching-tableside-ordering?rc_id=246

Guests at Buffalo Wild Wings will be able to order food, request songs and television programming, play games and pay their bills without leaving their table, thanks to the chain's partnership with NTN Buzztime. Buffalo Wild Wings will deploy the company's tablet-based entertainment platform to all of its North American restaurant locations by the end of 2015, according to a company press release.

The Guest Experience Wingman feature allows guests to send an alert to their servers with predefined requests, including questions on how to use their Buzztime tablet, set up a Blazin' wing challenge or requests to have a TV channel changed or get their checks.

Pretty sure there will still be waitstaff. You guys should really read the things you link to.

I ate at a BWW in the Atlanta airport back in October and they had the tablets set up for ordering. We still had a server who provided us drinks & refills, came over and confirmed our order after we placed it, and brought our food out. The only thing that was noticeably different was I didn't have to involve the server at all with paying the bill as I could swipe my card and leave the tip all from the tablet (MoP > hi). To think this will get rid of all servers or has anything to do with healthcare is silly.

 

[cstu]

Pretty sure there will still be waitstaff. You guys should really read the things you link to.

I ate at a BWW in the Atlanta airport back in October and they had the tablets set up for ordering. We still had a server who provided us drinks & refills, came over and confirmed our order after we placed it, and brought our food out. The only thing that was noticeably different was I didn't have to involve the server at all with paying the bill as I could swipe my card and leave the tip all from the tablet (MoP > hi). To think this will get rid of all servers or has anything to do with healthcare is silly.

Awesome, paying a tip for the waitress to do even less work.

 

[B-Deep]

I hate to say it, but this is what happens when employing people gets to be too expensive with higher minimum wage and higher health care costs. There are over 1,000 "B-dubs" in the US alone.

http://www.fastcasual.com/article/228891/Buffalo-Wild-Wings-launching-tableside-ordering?rc_id=246

Guests at Buffalo Wild Wings will be able to order food, request songs and television programming, play games and pay their bills without leaving their table, thanks to the chain's partnership with NTN Buzztime. Buffalo Wild Wings will deploy the company's tablet-based entertainment platform to all of its North American restaurant locations by the end of 2015, according to a company press release.

The Guest Experience Wingman feature allows guests to send an alert to their servers with predefined requests, including questions on how to use their Buzztime tablet, set up a Blazin' wing challenge or requests to have a TV channel changed or get their checks.

Pretty sure there will still be waitstaff. You guys should really read the things you link to.

I ate at a BWW in the Atlanta airport back in October and they had the tablets set up for ordering. We still had a server who provided us drinks & refills, came over and confirmed our order after we placed it, and brought our food out. The only thing that was noticeably different was I didn't have to involve the server at all with paying the bill as I could swipe my card and leave the tip all from the tablet (MoP > hi). To think this will get rid of all servers or has anything to do with healthcare is silly.

how did this seem to lower their rising costs of employee health care to you? did it seem effective?

 

[dozer]

Plus he wasn't even born here.

 

[Ignoramus]

I saw this at Chili's the other night. The little tablet asks you a trivia question, you click on an answer, and if you don't cancel out within a minute you just bought something. Awful.

I'm pretty sure after the hundredth "Nope, I did not order this. Send it back." that little feature will be removed.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

So ridiculous to jump right to political ACA and minimum wage crap, and so typical of the FFA

The connection is so obvious! maybe you need a refresher course.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

What the hell does this have to do with minimum wage? People don't want to place an order with another person when its so much easier to just do it via machine. Self service features at supermarkets and places like quikcheck, sheetz and wawa are wonderful.

Yes, exactly, but with all of them (which I use as a matter of convenience, as apparently you do as well), fewer people have jobs.

This happens in every industry when efficiency improvements are made. We don't have a bunch of people sitting at typewriters typing out memos in triplicate anymore either. Somehow we have survived.

no! no! no! no! no! :fingersinears:

 

[Long Ball Larry]

So ridiculous to jump right to political ACA and minimum wage crap, and so typical of the FFA

You think the cost of employment increasing isn't causing an increase in automation at your bank, grocery store, and now restaurant?

I think that companies' desire for increased profit is doing that. It's not going to matter what the minimum wage is. You are focused on a minor issue.

 

[Fat Nick]

This. This is what people don't realize when they make all these cries to increase minimum wage. Businesses can only support a certain level of employee costs. If you forcibly raise the cost of overall compensation to employees (via minimum wage, required benefits, etc), most companies will compensate by cutting jobs.

The end result? The folks who keep their jobs will make more, but there will be more people without jobs. Narrowing the wage gap in some ways...widening it in others.

That's great and all but has absolutely nothing to do with this particular endeavor.

As someone astutely pointed out before, waitstaff makes far less than minimum wage and rarely get health insurance. So let's not be so hasty to blame this on socialist economic policies. It's the march of efficiency that has been going on in this country since its inception.

I guess I made the mistake of tagging onto a post about Obamacare - I guess I should clarify. I could give two ##### about politics. I hate partisan politics because by design, you're either for one side or for the other. I think both sides have merit and can be right depending on the situation.

My view on this is driven more by the cause-effect impact of increasing wages (via salary AND benefits) without increasing the value-add of the employee. I agree with your statement in bold above, so maybe it's not relevant here, but conceptually, my point is that the higher the wage of a minimum-skill level worker is pushed through policy, the more advantageous it is for businesses to look for ways to automate. Automation reduces jobs, and redistributes wages from Minimum-skilled workers to higher skilled workers (i.e. the guy who comes to install the tablet system, services the robot waiters, etc.) It's simple economics, not partisan politics.

I just get frustrated with people claiming workers are underpaid without realizing the cause-effect impact of forcing higher salaries on companies. We're trying to narrow the wage gap. Why not focus on helping workers gain marketable skills so they can JUSTIFY earning more rather than just throwing money at them "because."

That's it...I'm done ranting about minimum wage here, and sorry for aiding to the hijack.

I think tablets at the table are a good idea actually - it was only a matter of time. Me clicking a button to get a refill on a drink is a lot more efficient for both me and the server. I'll just bring some Clorox wipes with me to sanitize the thing.

 

[Dr Oadi]

Your food runner will still expect a 20% tip jack wagons.

 

[tommyGunZ]

I hate to say it, but this is what happens when employing people gets to be too expensive with higher minimum wage and higher health care costs.

Most servers/waiters get far less than minimum wage and almost none of them get health insurance.

True but with Obamacare in place alot of these chains will now have to provide health insurance to their waitstaff.

This. This is what people don't realize when they make all these cries to increase minimum wage. Businesses can only support a certain level of employee costs. If you forcibly raise the cost of overall compensation to employees (via minimum wage, required benefits, etc), most companies will compensate by cutting jobs.

The end result? The folks who keep their jobs will make more, but there will be more people without jobs. Narrowing the wage gap in some ways...widening it in others.

I don't think this is true. I'll try to find the data, but I read something recently that counters this conventional wisdom.

Not to mention the fact that if businesses could be just as productive with fewer workers, they should be cutting those jobs anyway, with or without increased minimum wages.

 

[Osaurus]

Now they have more time to improve their food

 

[igbomb]

This. This is what people don't realize when they make all these cries to increase minimum wage. Businesses can only support a certain level of employee costs. If you forcibly raise the cost of overall compensation to employees (via minimum wage, required benefits, etc), most companies will compensate by cutting jobs.

The end result? The folks who keep their jobs will make more, but there will be more people without jobs. Narrowing the wage gap in some ways...widening it in others.

That's great and all but has absolutely nothing to do with this particular endeavor.

As someone astutely pointed out before, waitstaff makes far less than minimum wage and rarely get health insurance. So let's not be so hasty to blame this on socialist economic policies. It's the march of efficiency that has been going on in this country since its inception.

I guess I made the mistake of tagging onto a post about Obamacare - I guess I should clarify. I could give two ##### about politics. I hate partisan politics because by design, you're either for one side or for the other. I think both sides have merit and can be right depending on the situation.

My view on this is driven more by the cause-effect impact of increasing wages (via salary AND benefits) without increasing the value-add of the employee. I agree with your statement in bold above, so maybe it's not relevant here, but conceptually, my point is that the higher the wage of a minimum-skill level worker is pushed through policy, the more advantageous it is for businesses to look for ways to automate. Automation reduces jobs, and redistributes wages from Minimum-skilled workers to higher skilled workers (i.e. the guy who comes to install the tablet system, services the robot waiters, etc.) It's simple economics, not partisan politics.

I just get frustrated with people claiming workers are underpaid without realizing the cause-effect impact of forcing higher salaries on companies. We're trying to narrow the wage gap. Why not focus on helping workers gain marketable skills so they can JUSTIFY earning more rather than just throwing money at them "because."

That's it...I'm done ranting about minimum wage here, and sorry for aiding to the hijack.

I think tablets at the table are a good idea actually - it was only a matter of time. Me clicking a button to get a refill on a drink is a lot more efficient for both me and the server. I'll just bring some Clorox wipes with me to sanitize the thing.

You know, 6-7 years ago I was right there with you. I had read a slew of books by Thomas Sowell, Milton Friedman and other like-minded economists and would have argued with anybody that minimum wages and rent controls were bad things. The theory is clear and elegant, and sure there are these externalities out there, but they weren't enough to alter the overpowering affect of the self-correcting free market. But as I read some alternative views and had more time to observe the world around me, it has become pretty clear to me that the theory as presented by Sowell and others is simply idealistic naivety.

Income and wealth disparity has spiked since the early 80s. And I have yet to meet a person who would argue that isn't a bad thing. Along with that disparity, minimum wage in real dollars has been much lower than it had been in the decades before, tax rates were much lower than in the decades before, and spending on social programs (aside from SS and Medicare/Medicaid) in real dollars was much lower than in the decades before. True free market believers would argue that all of those changes are good things, but they have directly led to the massive gaps in rich and poor that we have today.

I know some free market believers will argue that we still haven't really gotten enough out of the way of the market and let it show what a true free market can do, but the last thirty years is the closest we've come in the last century and it's been a bit of a mess.

So I'm not buying the potential loss of jobs as a reason to avoid minimum wages. Jobs are not binary things, whereas you either have one and are doing well or don't and are in trouble. There are bad jobs out there, jobs that can't support one person let alone a family. And there are far too many of them. We've created this economy of low-paying, low-skilled jobs, and we better damn well make sure that a person can live off of them, because it's not just teenage kids flipping burgers or waiting tables anymore.

 

[Gottabesweet]

Hasn't Applebee's done this for years nobody uses them. You can play free games until they charge you etc

 

[bentley]

I'd swear I did this at Damon's Ribs in Waco like 15 years ago. Played trivia and selected my order. The screen doubled as a little TV that you could tune to any game you wanted right there in the booth. I think that chain went out of business. I'm sure Obama was responsible for it somehow.

 

[the moops]

is this company intentionally putting their tablets in the worst chain restaurants?

 

[technicaldifficulties]

I lived in Japan for 7.5 years and this was coming in 5 years ago. I often look for a bell to ring for the staff cause it's hella convenient. Being able to order from a touch screen was great. It just cuts out some of the bull#### with dealing with a busy restaurant. The staff is still there, they're just being used more as runners and less as order takers. I like the idea.

 

[Gawain]

Is it weird I thought they would be putting tablets in so folks could check their fantasy games?

 

[MattFancy]

Is it weird I thought they would be putting tablets in so folks could check their fantasy games?

That would be pretty sweet. But I guess they figure everyone has their smart phone for that.

 

[Ned]

Are the tablets actually carrying the food to you too?

 

[RCon]

Yes, this is clearly all about minimum wage laws and Obamacare and not at all about really obvious synergies between being able to order the same way in person as you would for carry-out and having internet access at every table.

Thanks Obama!

I agree that it has nothing to do with minimum wage and Obamacare, but I imagine it has quite a bit to do with reducing labor costs in general.

 

[RCon]

Are the tablets actually carrying the food to you too?

If an ordinary waiter spends half his time taking orders and half his time delivering orders to the table, removal of the taking of orders would make it such that the restaurant would need only half as many waiters. Pretty basic math, really.