Warning: Saw a self-checkout kiosk at a diner in Tucson yesterday

I stopped at this place called Bob's Breakfast Barn for a quick bite and every table had a tablet for ordering and paying with no human taking orders. The old waitress was just standing there refilling coffee mugs looking bored while this machine did her whole job. Has anyone else seen these kiosks popping up in regular mom and pop restaurants?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimfisher1mo ago

Devil's advocate here: those kiosks save time and let you order without waiting for a server who might be busy with other tables. The old waitress refilling coffee is still earning her tips and keeping the human touch alive, just without the hassle of taking orders. Technology freeing up workers to focus on actual service instead of typing things in sounds like a win to me.

jamief671mo ago

You're missing the real issue though - those kiosks collect your data every time you order, building a profile of what you eat and when. A human taking your order doesn't track your preferences to sell to third parties later. That's the trade-off nobody talks about, giving up privacy just to skip a five minute wait.

sethfoster1mo ago

Yeah, jamief67 makes a good point, but that data gets sold so quietly you never even know it's happening.