Jack in the Box Orders Up Experimental Self-Serve Kiosks

Some new order takers at a few local fastfood restaurants never punch in late, never take breaks, never complain, never ask for vacation time, and work, sometimes 'round the clock, for a buck an hour.

They're touch-screen, self-serve kiosks customers use to place and pay for orders, and they're said to be the way of the future in the quick serve restaurant arena, just as automated teller machines were in the banking industry, and more recently, self-serve kiosks that dispense boarding passes at airports.

Predictions vary from one to four years as to how long it will be before they become standard fixtures. According to analysts, most big chains, including San Diego's Jack in the Box, are sticking a toe in the water before they jump in.

"But it's a matter of when and not if said Carl Winston, director of San Diego State University's Hospitality and Tourism Management Program.

"Restaurants are dealing with labor issues and the need for cost savings, and at some point their customers get fed up with incorrect orders and say, 'Give me a machine,' Winston said. Eager To Be A Leader