"Fast-Food Workers Earn $25/Hour with Robot Colleagues and Paid Vacation"

Employees at Kernel, a vegan takeout joint in Manhattan, earn a starting wage of $25 per hour with paid days off and sick leave, and are set to become employee-owners in a stock-option plan. The catch is that they work alongside a six-axis robot arm named "El Capitan" that assists in food preparation. The use of automation in restaurants like Kernel is part of a growing trend in the industry, aimed at streamlining service, increasing sales, and improving employee efficiency. While the integration of automation can lead to challenges in scaling and adapting new technology, it has the potential to create a more harmonious and efficient working environment for employees.