[chrislehrer]

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.

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.