Your Waiter Today Will Be a Computer

News Type: Event — Seeded on Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:45 PM EST

Article Source: Business Week

business, entertainment, technology, myspace, my-space, atari, chuck-e-cheese, nolan-bushnell, uwink

While still a blip to most restaurateurs, DIY ordering terminals could have customers across the country ordering from a touchscreen.

Imagine a restaurant for the MySpace generation—one that doesn't force diners to leave behind their digital life when they step out into the analog world. That's the idea behind uWink, the latest restaurant business from serial entrepreneur Nolan Bushnell, founder of video game company Atari and the kiddie arcade/pizzeria chain Chuck E. Cheese's.

Instead of speaking to servers, diners at uWink order using a table-top touchscreen that doubles as a video-game console. (The most popular games so far? Trivia and Truth or Dare, Bushnell says.) Runners bring food to the tables, and a floating cruise director-type is around to answer questions and facilitate multitable team games.

The first uWink Media Bistro opened at a Los Angeles-area mall in October, 2006, and Bushnell, 64, says he hopes to open a number of uWink franchises across the country within the next six to eight months, though the public company wouldn't specify how many.

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Michael Sautter's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Foodies!, GeekVine
Regions: United States

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{"commentId":496726,"authorDomain":"michaelsautter"}

Michael Sautter

Must we try and remove every shred of human interaction in modern life?

{"commentId":496726,"threadId":"71323","contentId":"539135","authorDomain":"michaelsautter"}

2 votes

#1 - Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:20 PM EST

{"commentId":497272,"authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

lauhal

That's true. Although some dining experiences are ruined by an inept or rude waiter/waitress. I've had many pleasant encounters with waitstaff during dinners. Sometimes, that's the best part of the experience. Losing that human touch would be disconcerting for me.

{"commentId":497272,"threadId":"71323","contentId":"539135","authorDomain":"LAUHAL63"}

2 votes

#1.1 - Sat Jan 27, 2007 7:39 AM EST

{"commentId":497944,"authorDomain":"madalton"}

Mel Abigail

I'd hate to see what this does to the server workforce. There are so many women without much education and waitressing is one of the best jobs they could get if they want to support a family. When my mom became a single mom it was her new waitressing job that supported us. Hopefully it's a fad that will just die out.

{"commentId":497944,"threadId":"71323","contentId":"539135","authorDomain":"madalton"}

2 votes

#2 - Sat Jan 27, 2007 5:41 PM EST

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MICHAEL SAUTTER

Backyard

Your Waiter Today Will Be a Computer

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