Quinoa Restaurant Run Entirely by Technology Coming to Midtown

Eatsa, a futuristic, technology-run fast-food quinoa restaurant based in San Francisco, is opening up its first New York location in Midtown this fall.

The restaurant, which is all run on iPads and doesn't employ cashiers, will be located at 285 Madison Avenue between 40th and 41st streets. Eatsa's co-founder Tim Young calls the franchise "lunch on demand - delicious food that is nutritious, affordable, and quick."

When you walk into an Eatsa, you'll be greeted by a whole white wall of iPads lined up, kind of like something out of a sci-fi movie. You swipe your credit card at an iPad, order your meal and then a series of LCD-screened cubbies make your combo. When it's ready, it'll have your name in green on the screen, and a cubby will slide open with your order. It's like something out of "Wall-E."

Eatsa's funder David Friedberg told TechCrunch he thinks Eatsa can be a source of food for food deserts, or neighborhoods without sources of nutritious foods. He also said the technology will create opportunities for regulars to get discounts as the machines pick up how many times they eat at Eatsa.

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