Fast-Food Kiosks Didn't Usher in the Future Some Feared

It was a technological development that some saw as a harbinger of doom: the self-service kiosk at McDonald's and other fast-food chains. Some warned they would end up replacing the humans behind the counter, but as CNN reports, a funny thing happened: In some cases, they've created more work for people, not less. That's in part because kiosks can push the option of an upsell—adding fries or a dessert, say—every single time. As Shake Shack CEO Robert Lynch put it on an August earnings call, "Sometimes that is not always a priority for employees when you've got 40 people in line. You're trying to get through it as quick as possible."

And there's also the matter of good timing: As an industry analyst explains, "In theory, kiosks should help save on labor, but in reality, restaurants have added complexity due to mobile ordering and delivery, and the labor saved from kiosks is often reallocated for these efforts." Indeed, staffing levels in the quick-service and fast-casual segments of the restaurant industry are currently 3% higher than they were pre-pandemic.

But CNN notes kiosks are not entirely the holy grail for restaurants: One study out of Temple University found that when long lines form behind them, harried customers can feel stressed and actually order less food. Some customers complain about them, sometimes publicly. Others continue to worry that as the minimum wage keeps climbing, companies will move more and more toward automation. Indeed, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month that McDonald's is putting more eggs in its kiosk basket by rolling out kiosks in company-owned locations that can take cash and dispense change (the new kiosks are optional for franchisees). Currently, customers paying with cash must finish their transaction at a human-staffed register. (More McDonald's stories.)