While it seems that Is contactless dining contactless dining. Is contactless dining has been exacerbated by the onset of COVID-19, the history of contactless dining dates back to the late 19th century.
The world’s first “automated” waiter-free restaurant opened in 1895 in Berlin and was the first embodiment of the job seekers data contactless Is contactless dining experience. Originally a food vending machine company, the Quisisana brand pivoted to pioneering a new restaurant format by serving sandwiches, coffee, and wine from vending machines.
Automated food distribution, Quisisana (photo from 1895)
The automaton concept quickly gained popularity throughout Europe and eventually made its way to the United States. The first American automaton, Horn & Hardart, opened in Philadelphia in 1902. It expanded to New York City and eventually reached over 100 locations.
The automated vending machine concept eliminated the need for servers. The only front-of-house employees customers could interact with were the “coin tossers” who sold meal tokens. The wait staff refilled the food lockers.
Today, vending machines have given how to set up your own facebook conversions – step by step way to self-ordering kiosks or self-order menu tablets , while the rise of fast-food chains and other societal changes have led to the disappearance of vending machines in the United States and Europe. Horn & Hardart closed its last restaurant in 1991.
Thirty years later, the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing restaurateurs to seek a balance between contactless dining solutions like those offered by vending machines and the face-to-face, interpersonal service that customers crave.
Contactless dining in 2024: the example of the restaurant owner Brooklyn Dumpling Shop
While many restaurateurs are rushing to create a contactless dining experience, others already had contactless dining plans in place long before the pandemic.
Restaurateur Stratis Morfogen drafted the business plan for his nearly fully automated dumpling concept in early 2019. When he opened his Brooklyn Dumpling Shop in September 2020 , customers could order and pick up their favorites from Amazon-style lockers. Morfogen initially liked the idea of a modern vending machine because it eliminated the need for staff. With lower labor costs—one of a restaurant’s biggest expenses —the aero leads restaurant had a better chance of long-term survival.
While the financial viability of an ATM initially appealed to Morfogen, the concept became a smart strategy in more ways than one as the pandemic spread.
Indeed, with the onset of the crisis, the restaurateur adapted by resorting to additional health measures: “We added UV lamps that spray and clean each locker after use,” says Stratis Morfogen.