Maybe this is a weird take, but I wish most eateries would ditch waiters. They're a relic of the industrial revolution making "fine dining" available to the common folk. And a large amount of the frustration at restaurants is one of two things: how something's cooked, and the service someone receives. Remove the waiter and there's no more frustration over service. I don't need a personal attendant to bring me water; I see a jug of water, I have legs/arms, I go get my water.
In Japan you can order your katsu curry on a machine, pay, hand in a ticket, and grab your food when someone calls your number. Same for sandwich shops in the US. Automats used to have bays where you'd just go up to a window, put in a quarter, and take out some premade food. There's no reason you couldn't handle pancakes, bacon & eggs, spaghetti, etc the same ways. Your cooked food is already sitting under a heat lamp in the kitchen waiting for the waiter to bring it to you; why not just get up and get it yourself? You get your food faster, or when you're ready for it.
Yeah this would displace a lot of workers. But that's what progress does: an advancement displaces old workers, and new efficiency creates an opportunity for new products and services which need new workers. The treadmill of labor in a progressing society.
Fast casual is a pretty popular category with better burgers etc. that you order at the counter. In the UK, it's pretty common to order and pay for pub food at the bar and have someone just deliver it to your table. If I'm by myself and there are seats at the bar for eating that's what I'll often do.
Totally depends on the experience you're looking for. On the other hand, if I'm having a "nice" meal out, I probably do expect table service.
In Japan you can order your katsu curry on a machine, pay, hand in a ticket, and grab your food when someone calls your number. Same for sandwich shops in the US. Automats used to have bays where you'd just go up to a window, put in a quarter, and take out some premade food. There's no reason you couldn't handle pancakes, bacon & eggs, spaghetti, etc the same ways. Your cooked food is already sitting under a heat lamp in the kitchen waiting for the waiter to bring it to you; why not just get up and get it yourself? You get your food faster, or when you're ready for it.
Yeah this would displace a lot of workers. But that's what progress does: an advancement displaces old workers, and new efficiency creates an opportunity for new products and services which need new workers. The treadmill of labor in a progressing society.