Meet Flippy--Burger Robot

I think the FOH is more likely to happen sooner than later. You only need to tell a robot to smile once. The whole menu could be punched in on a iPad while the customer even sits at a table. When the order is complete they swipe the credit card then call your number when the order is ready. The thing I do like is, the robot doesn't take 10 smoke breaks during the shift.

I wonder how flippy will deal with the myriad of "I want it this way...no that...could you this...etc." that will come his way, even when cooking something as seemingly simple as a hamburger. :~)

How is flippy any different from the "flame grilled" treadmill they have been using at Burger King for years?

ChefBillyB said:

I think the FOH is more likely to happen sooner than later. You only need to tell a robot to smile once. The whole menu could be punched in on a iPad while the customer even sits at a table. When the order is complete they swipe the credit card then call your number when the order is ready. The thing I do like is, the robot doesn't take 10 smoke breaks during the shift.

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That's a fascinating take. In my work I deal with so much of the "customer" experience. I have to manufacture into reality whatever romantic ideas our customers concoct. That being said, it actually makes a lot of sense, especially within dining that requires speed at high volume. I imagine folks would be charmed by a Siri-esque host. I guess that would just encourage me even more to save my pennies for "nicer" places.

cheflayne said:

I wonder how flippy will deal with the myriad of "I want it this way...no that...could you this...etc." that will come his way, even when cooking something as seemingly simple as a hamburger. :~)

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Exactly! And I'm no chef by any means, but there is some variability to cooking meat, even premade pucks, not to mention special requests. I can just imagine poor Flippy holding onto a puck repeating "Error Error Error", then again maybe he wouldn't be so different from humans [emoji]128579[/emoji]

cheflayne said:

How is flippy any different from the "flame grilled" treadmill they have been using at Burger King for years?

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He could be superior in some ways, like the production line of burgers.

I did a brief stint in McDonald's while I was in college, and like everything, the amount of care one puts into something can sometimes inform the product. We may have had premade pucks, but Damian worked it as much as he could (extra spices, hard searing, etc.). I suppose one can only expect so much from a fast food place, though places like Wendy's wouldn't be able to rely on "mistakes" for their chili.

He's slow as cold molasses. I've worked with guys like that.

Friday and Saturday rush, he'd be in the weeds in a minute flat and,

having no brain, he wouldn't even realize it.

I'll see if I can work you into the slow grave shift...weekday afternoons maybe....

otherwise, I'm gonna have to let you go, FLIPPY. Nothing personal.

No kidding, I did a year at a McDonalds. Lunch rush was insane some days and I had to make decisions that no robot could. And I was flipping 10+ burgers in the time that thing did one!

ChefBillyB said:

I think the FOH is more likely to happen sooner than later. You only need to tell a robot to smile once. The whole menu could be punched in on a iPad while the customer even sits at a table. When the order is complete they swipe the credit card then call your number when the order is ready. The thing I do like is, the robot doesn't take 10 smoke breaks during the shift.

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There are lots of place in Japan that actually work this way. There's a sort of vending machine at the front, and you select what you want and put the money in. Then a server brings the food you ordered; in some places, they call a number, but more commonly it's a server or it's counter service. This is very big for things like ramen joints, but there's an amazing restaurant called Yayoiken that does a wide range of full meals this way.

Their regular menu is at this link.

The one near our apartment in Kyoto was 24 hours, too! (Though they stopped serving beer at midnight.) And very good food.

hungrypanda said:

Exactly! And I'm no chef by any means, but there is some variability to cooking meat, even premade pucks, not to mention special requests. I can just imagine poor Flippy holding onto a puck repeating "Error Error Error", then again maybe he wouldn't be so different from humans [emoji]128579[/emoji]

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A.I. can fly planes, space shuttles, it's used in finances, medicine... you really believe that it would be a challenge for A.I. to handle special requests like "hold the lettuce" or "cooked well done"?

If anything that's the strength of A.I. vs Humans. Once you've programmed all possible requests into A.I. then it shouldn't be an issue for the robot to handle as many special requests as needed (vs the human who would struggle to remember them all). The only thing is.. you have to program them beforehand. The day the request is out of the ordinary, A.I. won't be able to handle it at all.

ChrisLehrer said:

There are lots of place in Japan that actually work this way. There's a sort of vending machine at the front, and you select what you want and put the money in. Then a server brings the food you ordered; in some places, they call a number, but more commonly it's a server or it's counter service. This is very big for things like ramen joints, but there's an amazing restaurant called Yayoiken that does a wide range of full meals this way.

Their regular menu is at this link.

The one near our apartment in Kyoto was 24 hours, too! (Though they stopped serving beer at midnight.) And very good food.

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Chris, not a bad menu at all, I would be all over that. Service is really something we all want in high end restaurants. In 90% of the restaurants in America all people want is fast, hot. Americans are running all over town picking up kids. Both parents are working and I don't think anyone cooks at home anymore. If I was building a restaurant now I would build like the front line shot order cook style that diners used to have. All the stools would face the counter/front line with one waitress working. I would have two employees plus me. each stool seating would have have an iPad ordering menu/credit card paying system that cames to me POS at the grill. The waitress would deliver the meal. Everything fresh hot and steaming coming to the customer........