The automated restaurant...

[Matt D]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7335351.stm

[Caff]

Originally Posted by Matt D

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7335351.stm

It'd be good as a 'Grub-U-Like' type of I'm on my lunch-break so be quick!' type of place. And kitsch of the future. Actually - I wonder that Japan didn't think of it first .

I was wondering - how is the table cleared afterwards? Does a binbag and a sterile cloth arrive down the rails arrive? What if you dropped stuff on the floor? ...

Reminded me of the days that my shoes were paid for in a cannister that shot up tubes to the 'upper places' and came back with change and a receipt.

[Tinky]

Originally Posted by scuzz

Reminded me of the days that my shoes were paid for in a cannister that shot up tubes to the 'upper places' and came back with change and a receipt.

I was thinking the same thing, memories huh?

[punky]

Originally Posted by scuzz

It'd be good as a 'Grub-U-Like' type of I'm on my lunch-break so be quick!' type of place. And kitsch of the future. Actually - I wonder that Japan didn't think of it first .

They did. Sort of. The sushi restaurants in London (like Yo Sushi!) have a semi automated service where pre-prepared dishes travel around the restaurant on a conveyor belt. Customers sit down, grab the dishes as they whizz past, and once they have finished, they take the plates to the cashier who works out what they've eaten and charges them for it. Although this isn't really for hot food or large menus.

The only thing about the German restaurant approach is that its hard to special order things, unless the software accounts for it. That didn't apparent in the short demo I saw. However in the US McDonalds have an express check out where you order yourself on a terminal. All items are fully customisable, and as they are sent straight to the cooks via a screen, always come back correct.

[KaySquirrel]

Cool!

Although I might feel a bit resentful that my food had more fun at the restaurant than I did. Those tracks are nifty!

Just don't have anything with gravy, with the plates going round them turns you'll have no gravy left on your plate by the time it got to your table.