Apple’s Location Decision Brings Jobs to Raleigh

Apple’s Location Decision Brings Jobs to Raleigh

May 29, 2021
Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.

Apple has chosen Raleigh, North Carolina to house a new campus that employs 3,000 people working on software engineering and machine learning technologies.

Apple is joining other technology companies, including Oracle, Google, and Amazon, in expanding its engineering operations to other cities outside its headquarters, to access a greater pool of engineering talents.

Video Spotlight: 

This post is based on the CNBC article, Apple will spend $1 billion to open 3,000-employee campus in North Carolina, by Kif Leswing, April 26, 2021, and the YouTube video in the Spotlight. Image source: Shutterstock / maximino

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the location factors that Apple considered in choosing North Carolina as the location for its engineering operations?

Guidance: The location factors that Apple considered include access to engineering expertise, costs of living, and community involvement.  By locating in North Carolina, Apple will have access to a wide pool of engineering talents from nearby universities.  The costs of living are lower in North Carolina than the Bay area.  Additionally, Apple’s new campus will provide 3,000 job opportunities Continue reading →

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The Automat Returns

The Automat Returns

May 28, 2021
Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.

Under the category of “The more things change, the more they stay the same,” is the return of the Automat.

The original Automat opened in Berlin in 1895.  America’s first Automat was opened by Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart in Philadelphia, in 1902. Their Automat chain, Horn and Hardart, grew in popularity, with over 100 restaurants in New York City by the 1950s.

Restaurants served home-style comfort food.  Many even had a wall of pies, with hot coffee being one of their most popular items.  Diners could see their item through a window, and then insert a coin and turn a chrome and porcelain handle to receive their hot meal.  At its peak, over 800,000 customers ate at a Horn and Hardart’s each day.

The Automat offered customers an efficient and affordable dining experience, with at one time over 400 choices of food.  Behind the scenes, an assembly line of workers replenished the items in the machines.

However, their popularity declined as the popularity of fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s and Burger King, grew to replace them in the marketplace.  In fact, in the 1970s, several of Horn and Hardart’s Automats were replaced Continue reading →

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The Future of Ghost Kitchens

The Future of Ghost Kitchens

May 8, 2021
Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.

OM in the News previously reported on the rise of ghost kitchens, and we’re back with an update. Ghost kitchens as a concept have grown tremendously popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Red Robin recently introduced 3 national ghost brands — Chicken Sammy’s, The Wing Dept, and Fresh Set.  They join a long list of restaurants using the ghost kitchen concept. Restaurant chains and their products include Chili’s It’s Just Wings, Applebee’s Cosmic Wings, and Blooming Brands (the parent company for Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill) with Aussie Grill and Tender Shack.

A ghost kitchen typically uses a kitchen that can be shared across several companies and/or brands.  Orders are placed online or through apps for delivery using services such as Uber Eats or DoorDash.

Franchises are using ghost brands to bring in more business, especially with less dine-in due to COVID-19.  MrBeast is an example of a ghost franchise.  They take the orders through their app, and send it to a number of ghost kitchens to be filled and delivered.  They opened over 300 locations overnight, using the ghost franchise concept.

A third variation is that local kitchens can join a ghost franchise, take Continue reading →

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