Will ipads make waiters/waitresses obsolete?

[Spook]

I assume a waiter/waitress would still be involved to bring the food to your table or refill drinks.

if not, you may as well just go to a cafeteria or take-out restaurant.

Your servers will just be bringing food/drink to your table. If you need another drink during the meal, just reach over, and order another one on the ipad. Saves having to track down your waiter for another drink, or even to get the bill.

 

[brainhulk]

Your servers will just be bringing food/drink to your table. If you need another drink during the meal, just reach over, and order another one on the ipad. Saves having to track down your waiter for another drink, or even to get the bill.

yep, when ordering beers they are pretty damn fast at getting them to the table.

the bill, all you do is press the checkout button and swipe your card

 

[Farang]

I hate restaurants that force me to make the recipe. Its like if, instead of buying a painting, an artist handed me a canvas and brush. Its better because I get to draw exactly what I want on my wall right?

 

[darkewaffle]

Hard to tell without seeing the actual implementation, but I feel like the iPads would be absolutely filthy. Otherwise I don't really mind the idea.

 

[DrPizza]

I can see something like this working for a low end restaurant - something along the lines of Applebees that can barely be called a restaurant. But, at a restaurant that hires chefs - real chefs; people who have graduated from a culinary arts school (not chefs who are pimply faced teens who at 17 were promoted from fry chef to burger chef) - I think I'll leave my meal in their hands, thank you very much.

 

[Spook]

I can see something like this working for a low end restaurant - something along the lines of Applebees that can barely be called a restaurant. But, at a restaurant that hires chefs - real chefs; people who have graduated from a culinary arts school (not chefs who are pimply faced teens who at 17 were promoted from fry chef to burger chef) - I think I'll leave my meal in their hands, thank you very much.

low and/or medium... but yeah, i think your right, high end is looking for the most elegant dining experience, and I hardly think an Ipad menu system would suffice. But then, they usually have a completely separate person to help choose your wine too, among other jobs.

 

[SP33Demon]

I'm not tipping sht if I have to do all the work punching in stupid menu options. That's like tipping at Sheetz when I get made to order hot subs. The only difference is that you get to sit in down at STACKED. Now if she's refilling your drinks and walking around to make sure you have drinks as soon as they're empty, then I can see tipping for that.

People want a human interaction at a restaurant, I don't see tech changing that ever. Maybe if you had a fleet of hot female robots where you can't tell the difference and they're programmed with cute voices and remember you next time you come in. Maybe.

 

[manimal]

let me know when the Ipad can make me a gd sandwich.

 

[waggy]

let me know when the Ipad can make me a gd sandwich.

there is a app for that.

 

[Kntx]

I'd like this for lunch type restaurants where time is a factor. For dinner I'll stick to traditional dining.

 

[WelshBloke]

I'd like this for lunch type restaurants where time is a factor. For dinner I'll stick to traditional dining.

It's still going to take the same time to cook and serve, probably longer if everyone is ordering non standard meals. Decent waiting staff shouldn't take a long time to get the orders into the kitchen.

 

[Fingolfin269]

To be honest the last thing I want to do before eating is rubbing my hands all over an iPad that has been rubbed on by about 10000 other people. (yeah I know, sit/order/wash hands is an option)

The happy medium would be allowing the use of a phone app to do the ordering in lieu of the iPad.

 

[Ns1]

ipad taking my order = 0% tips

 

[Red Storm]

ipad taking my order = 0% tips

This, so I guess I don't mind.

 

[brainhulk]

ipad taking my order = 0% tips

Lol your choice but they make you go through a menu that asks you what percentage tip you want to give.

 

[GrumpyMan]

So who or what brings you the food or do you have to go pick it up yourself?

 

[Murloc]

I would not like it.
I want to hear it from the waiter if they have anything particular that day.

Also ipads don't take the food from the kitchen to your table.

Also if the only things in the menu are

pizza, burger, salad, soup, and sausage

then it's not a serious restaurant.

This would work in a pizzeria since ingredients are always the same but not in other places.

 

[Scout80]

People want a human interaction at a restaurant, I don't see tech changing that ever. Maybe if you had a fleet of hot female robots where you can't tell the difference and they're programmed with cute voices and remember you next time you come in. Maybe.

Ha ha.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Well if I have to get the food myself, that's a huge minus. And what if I hate the meal and want to add to or reject the order or have it refired? Do I send the cook an email?

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Why not just order at the front and sit down with a number just like any other fast food place?

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

maybe at a sonic or checkers

 

[nanette1985]

If that's your idea of a good time at a restaurant, then go for it. I deal with electronics all day while working - enough for me. And I deal with gadgets all day that don't work the way they're supposed to. With my luck I'd carefully order something that sounded good, but accidentally end up with something else.

 

[Skel]

Apple told me that the Ipad would be replacing everything in our lives in order to streamline our time. I for one can’t wait for the time when I don’t have to get up for work after the Ipad has replaced me in my job functions. What a glorious (is glorious the approved word in regards to the current Apple slogans?? I’ll be honest I fell asleep during the last Apple event as my Ipad had replaced me there already and was watching it for me) future we are speeding towards!

 

[Spook]

For a geek-centric forum, I'm kind of surprised at the resistance to this idea. I would guess the experience of this would vary greatly depending on how it was implemented, and the thought of it would be hard to imagine without sitting down for a meal to try for yourself.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

For a geek-centric forum, I'm kind of surprised at the resistance to this idea. I would guess the experience of this would vary greatly depending on how it was implemented, and the thought of it would be hard to imagine without sitting down for a meal to try for yourself.

Seems kinda silly imo. Server is walking by delivering food to another table. Can I ask for a refill or do I have to use the ipad?