With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• Business Insider reports that White Castle "plans to test a cooking robot named Flippy in the kitchen of at least one White Castle this fall.
"Flippy is built by Miso Robotics, and can fry food, flip burgers, and more. It's already used in stadiums, venues, and restaurants like the Dodger Stadium.
"The White Castle and Miso collaboration has been in the works for a year, but the pandemic sped up the fast-food chain's push for automation due to delivery demand and a move toward contactless cooking."
I can understand why this is an attractive option, since the pandemic makes low-touch alternatives something with a lot of an appeal. But it also occurs to me that this is happening at a time of increased unemployment, and if this becomes a broader trend, it isn't going to help put people back to work.
