Inside The Fully Automated Wow Bao in Gold Coast

The dumpling spot from Lettuce Entertain You opened on Friday

by Elizabeth Atkinson Dec 4, 2017, 2:30pm CST

Photography by Barry Brecheisen

A fully automated restaurant, free of front-of-house staff, has finally opened. The new Wow Bao at 1 W. Division Street in Gold Coast opened on Friday, taking orders from an app or an in-store kiosk. The restaurant uses eatsa, an end-to-end technology platform for ordering, fulfillment, and pickup. Once a customer places an order, the order will be placed in one of twelve cubbies displaying the name of the customer via LED light. The restaurant has a small counter for eating in, but the nature of the restaurant also lends itself to carry-out.

The new location offers Wow Bao’s signature menu and adds a few new bao and rice bowl options, along with Do-Rite Donuts and coffee for breakfast, and a late night menu coming when the weather warms up. Check out the fully automated restaurant, the same as it is when visiting, from the automated menus to people-free pickup.

Wow Bao, 1 W. Division Street, (888) 496-9226, open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.