Chick-Fil-A is now using the power of robots to deliver its chicken sandwiches.
But what kind of robots are we talking about?
Keep watching to find out.
"I'll be back."
Restaurants have found some ingenious ways to incorporate technology into their businesses
over the years – especially fast food joints.
According to Business Tech, some eateries have started providing diners with computer
tablets to order from rather than traditional menus, while other businesses have found unique
ways to send food to diners' tables.
One of those methods involves an automated rail system.
While Chick-fil-A might not have a robotic delivery system attached to every table and
booth, one particular location features an impressive contraption that has caught the
attention of one TikToker.
The user @edgarspam noticed a rail-based food delivery system at his local Chick-fil-A and
documented the device for everyone on social media to see.
In the video, an employee attaches a bag of food to a claw-like contraption that is a
part of a very long automatic rail.
Once secured, the claw takes the bag skyward, on its way to the customer at the other end
of the rail.
It may be only a matter of time before all fast-food locations decide to install similar
automated claws to increase efficiency.
In the meantime, we can't stop watching this technological marvel found at Chick-fil-A.
The TikTok video has so far garnered more than 450,000 likes and has attracted a ton
of attention.
While Chick-fil-A has started using futuristic technology at one location, other restaurants
have fully embraced new technological trends.
Some trendy East Asian eateries already have robot waiters that deliver food cooked and
served up by other robots, in addition to using a similar rail delivery system as the
one seen at Chick-fil-A.
Fast-food chains closer to home have also embraced a similar dive into the future.
According to Yahoo! Finance, Domino's has invested in a company called Nuro to test
the R2 robot, an autonomous self-driving car, for driverless pizza delivery.
The self-driving car has been approved for road use by the U.S. Department of Transportation,
and may soon deliver a pizza near you.
"To find better ways to deliver you pizza, which is why we're testing driverless delivery
powered by Nuro."
Diners across Houston who ordered from the pizzeria may have already even gotten food
delivered by these robots, and Chipotle has also expressed interest in using the same
kind of delivery fleet.
Not to be outdone, a Taco Bell in New York City found a way to replace its front-of-house
staff with touchscreens.
The location still features human workers, but diners shouldn't expect to interact with
them too much, as they work in the back whipping up orders instead.
Chick-fil-A didn't stop at claw delivery rails either.
Some of their Santa Monica locations also employ four-wheeled, self-driving rollers
thanks to a partnership with robotics company Kiwibot.
These marvels of the fast-food future can impress any diner, but some may wonder why
this industry needs rail claws or self-driving delivery vehicles in the first place.
Fast-food chains and fast-casual eateries have embraced new technological innovations
for a number of reasons.
According to Worldlink Integration Group, certain businesses, such as McDonald's and
Wendy's, have installed automated kiosks to help diners order faster and to increase overall
efficiency.
Other developments, including improved mobile app delivery systems and digital menu boards,
accomplish the same goal: getting more diners in and out of the restaurant with food in
hand.
The pandemic also forced many businesses to embrace high-tech gadgets in order to stay
afloat.
Restaurant Business reports that due to social distancing guidelines, contactless ordering
systems became the first order of business.
Restaurants installed new kitchen printers to communicate quickly with drive-thru windows,
while other businesses found ways to optimize mobile apps, home delivery services, and other
contactless food preparation methods.
The pandemic helped encourage the development of fully automated restaurants and even innovations
like automatic pizza-making machines.
According to Videotron, new technologies also helped solve secondary issues caused by the
pandemic.
Automated machines helped fill the labor gap as more and more employees resigned from their
jobs.
In turn, more robotics firms have provided machines that can help restaurants run their
businesses with fewer staff members.
Big names like McDonald's and Tim Hortons have led this charge into the future.
But smaller, independent restaurants have also taken notice.
And eateries across the culinary landscape have found ways to use innovations, like Chick-fil-A's
claw.
Only time can tell what the future has in store for the restaurant industry, but in
some ways, the future is already here.
You can probably expect a robot to deliver your chicken sooner than you think.
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