As Fast-Food Wages Rise, Wendy's Moves To Eliminate Humans On The Front-End

With the per-store profits for fast-food franchisees so dismal and SEIU-led wage pressures looming, some fast-food companies have begun looking at automation and technology to eliminate the need for employees.
Following in McDonald’s footsteps, Wendy’s is now the latest company to look toward self-service kiosks, according to Investor’s Business Daily.

Wendy’s (WEN) said that self-service ordering kiosks will be made available across its 6,000-plus restaurants in the second half of the year as minimum wage hikes and a tight labor market push up wages.
It will be up to franchisees whether to deploy the labor-saving technology, but Wendy’s President Todd Penegor did note that some franchise locations have been raising prices to offset wage hikes.
McDonald’s (MCD) has been testing self-service kiosks. But Wendy’s, which has been vocal about embracing labor-saving technology, is launching the biggest potential expansion.
Wendy’s Penegor said company-operated stores, only about 10% of the total, are seeing wage inflation of 5% to 6%, driven both by the minimum wage and some by the need to offer a competitive wage “to access good labor.”

Of course, with potential payout of million in dues per month, until technology completely transforms the fast-food industry, the move to replace humans with machines will not deter the SEIU or its campaign to unionize the industry’s remaining workers.
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