Parts of this article resonated strongly with me. At http://infinite-food.com we are attempting to redefine urban food distribution through shared storage and 'just in time' (JIT) production of a wide range of hot or cold meals within a wholly owned and operated network of kiosk-sized self-contained robotic service locations, combined with a managed logistics system. Big wins from less real estate, less waste, less transportation, meaning less costs and less environmental impact, plus of course reduced cognitive and temporal load for the consumer (and optionally kitchenless or applianceless apartments - part of a trend which I call SKINK - Shared KItchen / No Kitchen). Big losses for the ritual of the grocery trip. It's looking at food on demand as an urban utility instead of a scarce personally owned resource, and choice and personalization as ever-present instead of having to battle restrictive commercial menus or plan ahead and self cater. I see our company as an early investment in a larger trend of moving industrial processes out of the industrial revolution (central industrial hub plus multi-party distribution to consumers) toward a more distributed model supporting aspects such as personalization. Interesting that the author identifies as an architect. Plus one for cross-domain abstractions! NB. We use a pickup model and target 3 minutes to itch-scratching, but could integrate with delivery (~30-60) if desired: we try to get closer to the consumer with a vastly reduced retail form factor, to enhance the chance for repeated and spontaneous use. Currently taking investment and beginning manufacturing targeting China, HK and Macau!