Shake Shack US grand cashless experiment has failed: research

Half the customers didn’t know how to order on the iPad, a Google commenter wrote.

Fast-casual burger chain Shake Shack is axing its plans to go cashless after receiving complaints from customers wishing to pay with legal tender. The company will begin adding cashiers at its cashless kiosk restaurants, according to Market Insider, ending a short-lived experiment of only accepting cards some locations.

According to Eater, the company rolled out its first cash-free kiosk location at Astor Place in the East Village last fall. Instead of cashiers, the restaurant featured “hospitality champs” whose job was to assist customers in navigating the new ordering technology.

But diners, it appears, have revolted. “In the first rollout at Astor Place, we did not accept cash at all, and there are people who have told us very clearly ‘we want to pay with cash,’’ Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti. “So in this next phase, we’re going to go ahead and have cashiers as well as kiosks.”