Fast Casual Chain Grows By Eliminating Pesky Humans

After debuting in San Francisco’s financial district last year, fully-automated fast casual eatery Eatsa is opening its first East Bay outpost.

Located at near UC Berkeley’s campus at 2334 Telegraph Ave., Eatsa is moving away from power lunchers and into the college crowd after opening two well-received, automated eateries in San Francisco and one in Los Angeles.

Like all restaurants in the fast casual space, Eatsa offers cheap, healthy food as quickly as possible. But unlike your typical on-the-go lunch spot, Eatsa has eliminated a staff — diners place their orders at a kiosk or via a mobile app and pick up their meals from glass “cubbies” inside the 800-square-foot storefront.

When the order is ready (typically within three minutes of ordering), the cubby door alerts the customer and opens at the touch of a button.

The meatless, quinoa-based menu is priced around $6.95, kept cheap by cost-eliminating factors like compact spaces and low staff. While there is no front of the house staff, a concierge does man the storefront to answer questions and help people who may have trouble with the technology, as well as staff who actually makes the food.

With mobile ordering, there are no lines and no wait time, a recipe for success in college town.

““Our business model is ideal for the hungry college student looking for a high-quality, hearty meal that’s quick and affordable,” Scott Drummond, chief design officer for Eatsa, said in a statement.

“Technology plays an important role in improving the speed and convenience of our experience. By making things as efficient as possible, we can offer a great price for a high quality product. The smaller footprint of our third Bay Area location shows just how adaptable the Eatsa experience can be to just about any location type.”

Eatsa’s Berkeley location will open Tuesday for lunch and dinner service.

Source: San Francisco Business Times, Tessa Love
Photo: At Eatsa, diners place an order for quinoa-based meals priced at about $6.95 at a kiosk and pick up their orders from glass cubbies