1. No cashiers needed
Online retailing Goliath Amazon has ambitious plans for its frictionless convenience store concept, Amazon Go. With no lines and no checkout, customers just swipe a QR code from the Amazon Go app upon entering and everything taken out of the store gets tallied and charged to their linked Amazon account. Sure, it’s not a traditional restaurant, but fast casuals should heed its appeal for time-pressed lunch-goers, who can grab a salad, sandwich or a bag of chips in virtually no time. Amazon has plans to open thousands of the high-tech c-stores, including a number of mini versions, in building lobbies and hospitals.