Remote Drive-Thru Workers

Shaan proposes a remote drive-thru management system where workers handle multiple restaurant locations from home, maximizing efficiency by eliminating downtime between orders and reducing labor costs.

Key Points:

• Remote Order Taking System:

  • Replace in-person drive-thru workers with remote operators
  • Workers connect to different drive-thru screens from home
  • One person can handle multiple locations simultaneously

• Cost & Efficiency Benefits:

  • Eliminate downtime between cars and orders
  • Reduce labor costs by hiring workers from lower-cost areas
    • Example: Hire someone in Nebraska at $12/hour vs. $24/hour in California
  • Increase worker utilization by managing multiple locations

• Evolution Path:

  • Stage 1: Remote human workers
  • Stage 2: AI/Alexa-style automation
    • Similar to airport check-in kiosks
    • Complete elimination of human operators

• Business Model Drivers:

  • Rising labor costs forcing automation
  • Financial incentives too strong to ignore
  • Similar to how Uber has downtime between rides, but this solution eliminates that inefficiency

This represents a transition step between traditional drive-thru operations and full automation, driven by rising labor costs and efficiency demands.