Skip to main content

Your next Applebee’s or Chili’s waiter may be an Android tablet

next waiter may android tablet chilis restaurant
Photo via Vinny Gragg/Flickr Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s the Industrial Revolution all over again. This time, the casualties may be the people who take your order and feign laughter at your corny jokes. 

Several chain restaurants are embracing the use of tablets, which may make jobs in the food service industry as obsolete as blacksmiths and cobblers. This month, Chili’s rolled out tabletop tablets that allow customers to order food and pay their bills without a waiter. The tablets can also be used to play games- for an extra fee- while you wait for your order of fajitas.

Recommended Videos

Chili’s claims that its tablet rollout makes it the largest in the United States. In a press release, the company announced that it installed 45,000 tablets in 823 of its restaurants. 

“This rollout marks the first time a restaurant company has installed communal tablets at this scale, and we were able to complete it two months ahead of schedule, bringing up to 6,600 tablets online per day,” said Austen Mulinder, the CEO of Ziosk, the company that manufactures the tablets.

Aside from outsourcing food service to technological advancement, Chili’s is also automating food preparation. According to the New York Times, the company has installed computerized ovens that use infrared technology and conveyor belts in each of its 1,200 restaurants. 

The 7-inch tablets run on Android. Aside from taking orders, the tablet allows users to take photos and upload the image to social networks like Facebook. The device can also read coupons and ask customers for feedback based on their orders. 

Chili’s is one of the newest restaurants to use tabletop tablets. And more are expected to adopt the technology. Last March, Buffalo Wild Wings announced that all of its restaurants in the U.S. will have seven-inch Samsung Galaxy tablets “by the end of 2015.”

Christian Brazil Bautista
Christian Brazil Bautista is an experienced journalist who has been writing about technology and music for the past decade…
The best Android tablets in 2025: the 7 best ones you can buy
OnePlus Pad with official Stylo pencil stylus on a wooden table.

Tablets may not be the trendiest devices in 2025, but they remain excellent tools for streaming movies, playing games, or getting work done on the go. While the best iPads continue to dominate the tablet market, there are still many outstanding Android tablet options available if you prefer not to be confined to Apple's ecosystem.

Whether you're looking for a high-end, powerful device or a more affordable, compact option, the Android tablet market has something for everyone. Regardless of your budget or specifications, here are the best Android tablets you can buy in 2025.

Read more
Specs just leaked for the next budget-focused Android tablet
Xiaomi Pad 7

It seems like every company has an Android tablet of their own these days, but Xiaomi has been a big name in the field. And now, the specs for the upcoming Xiaomi Pad 7 and Pad 7 Pro — both highly anticipated tablets — just leaked in China, according to GSMArena. The tablets received criticism for their larger size, although it's a trait many fans love. While there's no specific launch date, the two tablets are expected to release sometime around November of this year at currently unknown prices.

As far as specs go, both tablets will boast the same 11.17-inch screen with an impressive 144Hz refresh rate. That's great news for anyone hoping to use these to watch their favorite shows or get some gaming in; the high refresh rate means a much smoother experience overall. The Pad 7 is expected to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, while the Pad 7 Pro will have the more powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 behind the wheel.

Read more
Amazon quietly launched three new Android tablets with a bunch of AI features
amazon quietly launched three new android tablets fire hd 8 2024 render official

When Amazon launches a new tablet, there's usually quite a bit of fanfare. But this time, the retail giant has quietly unveiled out three new Fire HD 8 tablets: the Fire HD 8 (2024), Fire HD 8 Kids, and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro. These might sound like iterative improvements, but don't be fooled, as Amazon has added some serious oomph to these tablets.

The new Fire HD 8 tablets include a writing assistant that's built into the keyboard. Have you ever written something out and thought it lacked a certain pizazz? The assistant will help tighten up your text. The Amazon Silk browser also now has a feature that will summarize we pages so you get the gist of the message without reading the entire story, while another AI tool lets you create custom background images through a text prompt.

Read more