Self-service Coming To Fast-food (2/2)

"Consequently, the competition for workers will become more intense," said Mr. Riehle. "So you can see that operators will be turning to technology to fill the labor gap." For some operators, that raises questions about balancing high-tech with the warm, inviting high-touch image the industry has worked hard to create. "Hospitality is not a robot; it's people," Jeff Sinelli, founder and chief executive of the Dallas-based Which Wich sandwich chain, said at a panel discussion Tuesday. His chain already automates the food-ordering process. Customers use a Sharpie pen to mark their choices on a brown bag in which the sandwich is ultimately delivered. After the session, Mr. Sinelli acknowledged that he's looking at purchasing a system that would allow for automated plastic payments. "That's what the business is going toward," he said. "We will never replace people totally. We're trying to make it the most efficient system and possibly reduce the number of people needed to run a Which Wich." He also spoke of the cost of a kiosk, which, for some of the higher-end models, can rival a year's salary. IBM's Anyplace Kiosk, a wall-mountable, touch-screen version with the CPU built in, costs about $2,500. Machines that handle cash can cost up to $18,000 per unit, said NCR's Mr. Charpentier. Others see that as a fraction of the cost of a worker over time, without concerns about sick days and paying overtime. And they worry little about customer acceptance, given that fast food's target market – hungry young males – is filled with technophiles. "I believe we've finally reached the tipping point where this will work," said Paul R. Monahan III, president and chief executive of San Diego-based EMN8, a kiosk maker. He, too, predicted rapid deployment of fast-food kiosks next year and added: "Consumers are more ready than ever to serve themselves." By Karen Robinson-Jacobs Source: DallasNews.com/