Shake Shack is trialling a cash-free location, where the only ordering option will be via kiosks, at its NYC Astor Place location. The new spot will open in early October, per the company, and will feature custom-made kiosks that feature touchscreen ordering, with built-in text message alerts for when orders are ready for pickup.
The location will still feature actual human staff – and Shake Shack is touting its $15 per hour starting wage for those employees, who will be called ‘Hospitality Champs’ and who will assist people with the ordering process and answer any questions.
Shake Shack’s kiosks are based on the user experience they created for their mobile ordering app, which is available on iOS and Android, but is built into dedicated hardware on premises instead of requiring a user to have it on their ow device. Similar automated ordering systems have been used by other fast food and quick service restaurants, including McDonald’s.
Going totally cashless is a step beyond, however, and it’ll be interesting to see how this works with the Astor Place clientele. Shake Shack gets a fair amount of tourist visits, because of its reputation, so that could be the most interesting component in terms of the practical viability of a totally cash-free location.