Will short order cooks be replaced by AI?
Updated
Short order cooks score 20 of 100 for AI exposure. 71% of their task time still needs a person. AI speeds up the other 29%.
- 29% AI helps
- 71% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 79% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 11 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can't do any of them end to end yet. It speeds up 4 and leaves 7 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Accept payments, and make change or write charge slips as necessary. POS terminals already handle card payments and change calculation. | 50% AI helps |
| Order supplies and stock them on shelves. Ordering can be automated; stocking shelves is physical work. | 40% AI helps |
| Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time. Software can sequence tickets, but kitchen timing needs live judgment. | 35% AI helps |
| Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements. Order taking can move to kiosks; cooking stays physical. | 35% AI helps |
| Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea. Food assembly and carving are physical; recipe help is minor. | 20% Needs a person |
| Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers. Mostly physical restocking and date labeling in walk-in coolers. | 15% Needs a person |
| Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters. Plating and delivering food to tables is physical work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables. Physical cleaning of equipment and surfaces needs a person. | 8% Needs a person |
| Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes. Grilling and frying is physical work at a hot station. | 5% Needs a person |
| Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas. Wiping, mopping, and scrubbing dining areas is physical labor. | 5% Needs a person |
| Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops. Flipping and garnishing meat needs a cook at the grill. | 4% Needs a person |
How short order cooks compare
All occupations (923)
Food preparation and serving (16)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $35,880 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 138,650 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -5.2% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Run ticket sequencing in Plexis POS or RestaurantPlus PRO
- Grill and garnish steaks and chops to order
- Check auto-generated supply orders in inventory control software
- Hold a ServSafe Food Handler certification
- Date label and rotate walk-in cooler stock
- Plate and serve orders at steam tables
Safer roles nearby
4 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about short order cooks and AI
Will AI replace short order cooks?
Partly. About 2 in 10 of a short order cook's working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly taking payments and ordering supplies. Grilling, frying, plating and cleaning stay with people because they need a person at the hot station.
Which short order cook tasks is AI taking over?
Taking payments scores highest on exposure at 50, since POS terminals already handle card payments and calculate change. Ordering supplies scores 40, and inventory control software can place reorders. Counter order taking can move to kiosks, though the cooking that follows stays physical.
Which short order cook tasks stay human?
Grilling and garnishing meat scores 4 on exposure, the lowest in the job, because flipping steaks and chops needs a cook at the grill. Frying eggs and pancakes and cleaning kitchen and dining areas both score 5, since they are physical work that needs a person.
How can short order cooks stay valuable?
Get faster on the hot line, since grilling, frying and timing a multi-ticket rush are the hardest tasks to automate. Learn ticket sequencing in Plexis POS or RestaurantPlus PRO so you can lead the rush. Check the orders inventory control software suggests before they go out. Hold a ServSafe Food Handler certification to show food safety knowledge.
Related jobs
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