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In our blog we wrote about how automation increases the standard of living and can save jobs for the economy. In the restaurant business has long been widely used different automation systems (eg, Jowi) - With their help the owners of establishments try improve employee efficiency and combat fraud on their part.

But there is one problem - not even the most skilled employees want salary increases - this can lead to the fact that the introduction of automation will be expressed not in improving the efficiency of the people, and their replacement by robots. We have prepared an adapted translation of материала Washington Post, dedicated to this issue.

History McDonald's h4> fast-food workers rallied in front of the "McDonalds", demanding wage increases

"Very crowded" - so Ed Raincy (Ed Rensi) remembered period of my life when I worked at McDonald's in 1966. Then worked in restaurants about twice as many employees (about 70-80 people), than it is now (30-40 people), because while cooking consuming much more time and effort.

«When I first started working at McDonald's for 85 cents an hour, we did everything by hand. - Says Raincy - From cutting the cake to the mixing of milk and syrups for cocktails. For years, it was as though over time the ingredients have started to arrive [in the kitchen] has already staffed and pre-mixed, ready for heating or immediately packed and ready for sale to customers ». Blockquote>« Gradually require less and less labor, especially at the higher office "- says Raincy, who became CEO in 1990. Gradually expanding, the company continued to hire more grill cooks and cashiers, but each of them had to pay more wages from the proceeds of the restaurant, because the introduction of more sophisticated methods of cooking allow each employee to work more productively.

The food industry must be prepared for shocks - is a new initiative for an increase in the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour is gaining momentum in the District of Columbia, the other shares of the pay increase occur throughout the United States. Payroll costs account for about 30 percent of the total expenditure of the restaurant business, so that the replacement workers machines (robots that train burgers, or even a super-fast stoves, can accelerate the process of cooking) will be more favorable than doubling the current federal minimum wage of $ 7 25 h.

"Raising the minimum wage is that it can be turned upside down to turn the (accounting) records in the restaurant business," - said Harold Miller (Harold Miller), vice president of Network Development restaurants Persona Pizzeria, which also advises and other networks. "My position is that pay their employees properly, keep their jobs longer, treat them well, and robots that can help you - all you need to restaurateur to survive».

Many networks are already looking for clever ways to eliminate the use of human labor, threaten [dismissal] workers in the food industry, which employs about 2, 4 million waiters 3 million cooks and other kitchen workers and the majority of 3, 3 million cashiers USA.

«Why wait?» h4> Perhaps the emergence of networks of fast food restaurants has opened up a new era of effective methods of cooking, but the food industry as a whole has been stable for a long time to reduce the workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the United States since 1987, labor productivity in limited service restaurants grew at a rate of only 0, 3% per year, which is low compared with many other industries.

The company IBISWorld, conducting market research, has estimated that over the last decade, the average number of employees in fast food restaurants declined by about two units (17, 16, 15, 28). And the restaurants tend to rely more on the work of employees than the other catering establishments [number of staff in the restaurants commonplace than in other areas related to public power]: According to the National Restaurant Association, in restaurants and bars US worker It generates income, on average $ 84,000, compared to $ 304,000 for the employees of grocery stores and $ 855,000 for employees of gas stations.

Work - not the only factor to take into account the cost of a hamburger "Big Mac": there is also included and the cost of real estate, which is more expensive, especially close to the outlets where restaurants tend to stay. And wholesale food costs, which rose by 25% over the past five years.

The rapid growth of expenses - precisely because it franchisors aggressively seeking low-waste technology, which would allow them to quickly produce more products of better quality. Dave Brewer (Dave Brewer), production director Middleby Corp., which owns dozens of brands of kitchen equipment, is constantly developing new solutions for optimization and cost minimization.

«What is surprising is that profitable to raise wages," - said Brewer. "But innovation and automation are inevitable regardless of the wage increase. So why wait? » Blockquote> All of these innovations are helping restaurants to modernize the various processes in their activities and attract more customers. Electronic menus can be constantly updated to ensure that they do not appear cuisine, which is currently not available. Connection of the terminal to the operating system the oven allows you to cook just the right amount of food, which helps to reduce costs. Other innovations are helping to save energy, reduce maintenance costs and better utilize fat waste.

As for digital, restaurants work with applications include reward systems and tracking a user's location, so that applications are invited customers to eat in these restaurants often. It is possible that new technologies can start to eliminate jobs faster than ever before.

"Labor-saving" technology is widely used now - orders via terminals, via tablets - can replace the work of cashiers, and partly - the work of waiters (they will remove from the obligation to receive orders and supply checks). Earlier this year, the network Olive Garden announced that the company will install terminals Ziosk to receive orders in all of its restaurants: all you need to do is to waiters - make food.

Robots may even help reduce the need for highly skilled workers such as sushi chefs. Some expensive restaurants are using the machine for rolling rice on the nori sheets - is relatively simple (and underpaid) task time-consuming. Despite the fact that the sushi chefs, tend to earn more than $ 15 per hour, their jobs would also be at risk if the waiters demand salary increases.

«We do not use unskilled labor, but if such labor will rise in price, the next price increase for all", - said Robert Blue (Robert Bleu), President of the True World Group, distributor of seafood and consultant, also owns dried restaurant in Chicago. "I do not believe molding rice balls high art. Severe repetitive work can be avoided ». Blockquote> Of course, you can dream of any great changes to improve production efficiency. Miller Persona Pizzeria suggests that eventually unmanned delivery system (using drones), save people from having to call in a restaurant. Brewer gives a bold prediction: he believes that as a result of automation will help reduce by half the number of employees of the restaurant. The remaining employees will only need to learn to control robots and repair them in case of breakage.

"Nobody wants to pay $ 15 per hour for an employee that the employee will make another $ 7", - said Brewer. "It does not decrease for employees. This is an opportunity to become managers of different systems. The ability to become smarter and smarter ».

The value of human presence h4> However, not all agree that the machines can greatly affect the cost of labor. To introduce new systems is expensive, and errors can lead to serious consequences. And for some restaurant concepts availability of employees - competitive advantage of the restaurant. Unlike restaurants from grocery stores and gas stations in the fact that many people come to the restaurant just because they want some kind of interaction.

Viderhorn Andy (Andy Wiederhorn), CEO of fast-food restaurants Fatburger, is testing a system of orders with the help of tablets in their (subsidiary) network Buffalo's Cafe. And he doubted that technological progress will be sufficient to withstand the wage increases, especially when real people - the most effective means of marketing.

«I think that the tablets can be used as a means of order, but to ask questions and receive offers à la carte dishes from the tablet is quite difficult. I do not think that tablets will replace the waiters, but they will make their work more effective, "- said Viderhorn. "We sell burgers, shakes and fries, and customers want to talk to someone and say," I want this. " In my opinion, we can not say that in the restaurant and hospitality industry technology will replace the entire staff ». Blockquote> This is why some restaurants slowly, step by step, moving toward increased automation, and not rush forward at breakneck speed, even in light of the threat increasing the minimum wage.

"As the industry is still the service sector, the sphere of" hospitality ", its task - to be" humane ", even in the form of new technologies", - said Hudson Rhyl (Hudson Riehle), first vice-president of the National Restaurant Association, responsible for Research . If restaurateurs are not careful [in automation] Restaurant at risk of losing it, so that people visit them.

"Working in the service industry, as well as recognizing the need to provide an individual approach to the client, many of the managers of restaurants focused on the quality of service to remain competitive," - said Rhyl.

Source: geektimes.ru/company/jowi/blog/262818/