Servers, dishwashers, line cooks, bartenders, and chefs already work long hours on unpredictable schedules. Women make up more than half the workforce and people of color  and women are more likely to be in low paid positions in the industry, while white men hold the more prestigious and high-earning positions, and workers of color make up more than half of back-of-house employees. One-third of undocumented workers in the U.S. work in food service, and they often work in invisible, but essential, positions.

As technology is promoted as a salve for all kinds of problems, many food industry workers are fighting for basic rights and dignity.

Starbucks is a good example. During the pandemic, mobile ordering at the national coffee chain skyrocketed, making up a quarter of all orders. Baristas I spoke to told me that mobile ordering prioritizes speed, and mobile orders are more likely to have a large number of special requests. As any barista or line cook will tell you, these modifications slow down workers as they prepare drinks and meals.

The increase in mobile ordering has led to burnout amongst baristas, who are increasingly voting to join unions, along with other workers across the hospitality and food service sector. Over the last couple years, workers at businesses from distilleries to doughnut shops to coffee chains to fast food restaurants have successfully won unionization votes.

Multiple baristas I spoke with described how mobile ordering oriented them toward speed and volume rather than cultivating relationships with customers. At its best, coffee shops offer a “third place” that fosters community and gives people a place to belong. Mobile ordering has turned many cafés into coffee vending machines.

“Management really emphasized how important Starbucks being a third place was, being that space where you connect with your friends, that space between home and work where you can gather,” said Jo, a former Starbucks barista who asked to go by their first name only. They worked for Starbucks in Vancouver, B.C. between 2018 and 2019, as mobile ordering was rolled out in stores.

Since the introduction of mobile ordering, however, Jo said customers tend to grab their coffee and leave without interacting with staff—unless there’s a problem. Customers also tend to get frustrated by delays, as they assume mobile ordering will be faster and more efficient, and they take it out on burned-out, overwhelmed baristas.

“Those points of connection get lost in mobile ordering. So, it’s just like, ‘Here’s your order, bye,’” Jo said. “The experience is so frustrating for both baristas and customers; I don’t know what purpose it serves anymore outside of increasing profits.”

Post-COVID Landscape

As we emerge from the early days of the pandemic, customers returning to restaurants are especially likely to be seeking human interaction. When it comes to complex problem solving, human beings are much more adept than bots at dealing with customer complaints, questions, and problems that come with serving the public. While a kiosk can tell you what menu items are gluten-free or vegan, it won’t be able to tell you its favorite dessert or recommend a great spot for live music. And for workers, moments of connection make a difficult job a little easier.

As a server, I’ve seen customers struggle to communicate, awkward and nervous as they admit this is their first time in a restaurant since before the pandemic began. Technology can widen this gap and alienate customers further. And for workers, our labor is often rendered invisible, and therefore not worth compensating. When customers order via app, for example, it can seem like servers aren’t working as hard for the customers. Customers are already mostly unaware of the amount of physical and mental labor involved in making a restaurant run efficiently–and technology obscures that further.