Regarding the ordering kiosk question, I was in a McDonald’s a couple of weeks ago for breakfast, at about 6:30am. They have a vertical ordering screen kiosk thing. I tried to use it to place my order but it insisted that I provide the number of the numbered flag I picked up from the stack. Except this McDonald’s had no numbered flags on the kiosk, so WTF was I supposed to do? I gave up in frustration and asked the woman at the register watching me if I could just order from her instead. (See here for a photo of the kiosk, showing the numbered flags.)
Most of the Steak n Shakes here in St. Louis have closed. Before the closures it was a steady decline in staffing, leading to long waits and filthy restaurants.
They always seemed to struggle to find their niche, selling burgers and fries at fast food prices long after that was financially viable at a sit-down place with actual servers. IMO they either had to pivot to automation (which I guess they did in some markets) to keep prices low or change to a fast-casual concept where you could expect to have to pay more like $12 bucks for a burger, fries, and shake rather than the $8 or so that they were charging. (Prices circa 5 years ago).
It was pretty clear that when they were significantly cheaper than Five Guys (to use one example) and yet had table service that it probably wasn’t going to end well.
It’s sad because it was a staple of my teen years, when each local high school had it’s specific Steak n Shake where you could always find a table full of classmates on a random weekend late night. Another piece of childhood gone.
I suspect you’re right. They were too good to be true. Not only were the prices pretty low, I regularly got coupons that made them even lower.
Out of nowhere, this video came up in my Youtube recommendations today;
Interesting video, but damn that guy’s voice is annoying.
So, update.
This week I went to a SnS in Lexington, KY, and it was kiosk. You had to order your own food, pay, pick it up, and bus your own table. And they had the damn gall to ask for a tip!
But I also went to my “usual” in Joplin. They still have full staff, just like the old days. I told them how much I liked it. Gave 'em a good tip.
So basically just like Panera.
No, because (at least here) you order from a person, pay a person, and they bring the sandwich to your table. Other than that…
At our Panera, you’re not forced to use the kiosk, but I often do since the line is always long and they only have one register open. But even using the kiosk they prompt you for a tip.
Our Panera does not ask for tips and there is no tip jar or whatever in sight. I actually asked the cashier where to put tips and she didn’t know.
Steak and Shake was an early upscale burger joint with inflated prices.
The location in North Little Rock closed at least 12 years ago.
There’s several competitors in the upscale burger market. 5 Guys for example. We’re lucky in central Arkansas we have Davids Burgers. They fresh ground their meat every morning and distribute to all their locations. Much better than Steak and Shake ever was.
I don’t blame them! I mean, are we supposed to tip AI now?! LOL
Steak and Shake is still popular in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
What are you basing “inflated prices” on? I always thought they were pretty cheap.
The Steak 'n Shake in my neck of the woods (Campbell CA) didn’t go over well. After the initial grand opening rush, business dropped off a cliff and it closed in less than 6 months. I went once and found the burger to be no better than one from McDonald’s.
Same of the 3 Steak N Shakes near me two closed within the year and the one hanging on only does so because it’s right next to a very busy freeway.
And they are pretty expensive at least in California, there’s no value menu like other places so a burger combo is like $15.
My mistake. The joint in Tokyo was a Shake Shack.
Really? Most of their menu around here were the $3.99 deals. I loved them.