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It feels like everything is getting more complicated, especially when it comes to ordering food and drinks. It's enough to drive you crazy. Hyperpersonalization seems to be the big trend, and younger generations are leading the way. But where does it stop?
Here's an average chicken wing order from Wingstop, for example:
“I’d like the 60-piece wing combo with half classic and half boneless. Please do 10 flavors: Lemon Pepper, Garlic Parmesan, Mango Habanero, Louisiana Rub, Original Hot, Hickory Smoked BBQ, Spicy Korean Q, Atomic, Cajun, and Plain. I’ll need a large ranch per 10 wings, plus extra blue cheese and a mix of ranch and honey mustard. For sides, I’ll take 5 large fries—2 with extra seasoning, 2 with cheese sauce, and 1 plain. Add 2 veggie sticks. Drinks: 1 gallon of half-sweet, half-unsweet iced tea, and 4 large sodas—Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Fanta with light ice. Make all wings extra crispy, wet for Mango Habanero and BBQ, and Atomic extra saucy. Oh, and two triple chocolate brownies to finish.”
And don't forget about the OG of personalization, Starbucks, where I couldn't be a barista if I wanted to be:
“Can I get a Venti Iced Caramel Mocha Latte with breve instead of regular milk, 5 shots of espresso, 6 pumps of caramel, 6 pumps of mocha, extra whipped cream on top and at the bottom, double caramel drizzle, double mocha drizzle, light ice, 5 packets of sugar, a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg, cookie crumble or java chips on top if you have them, and two straws, please?”
Even Dunkin’ is in on the act now. It's not just coffee, but refreshers with a million combos.
“Can I get a Large Frozen Mango Pineapple Refresher mixed with lemonade, extra concentrate, no ice, caffeinated, with a splash of oat milk? Oh, and could you double-blend it if possible?”
What’s Next?
It’s hard to imagine where this level of customization goes from here. At some point, it seems like humans won’t be able to keep up with the complexity of expecations. Chipotle is also already testing collaborative robots (cobots) in its restaurants. These robots can prepare food with a level of precision that’s hard for people to match. They'll probably be able to count the grains of rice in your rice bowl.
Maybe the future is this: You order from an app with endless options, a robot makes your order exactly right, and you pick it up with no fuss. We’re not at the Star Trek replicator stage yet—where Captain Picard could just say, “Tea, Earl Grey, hot,” and have it appear instantly—but this feels like the direction we’re heading.
The big question is, what's the limit of the complexity of our desires? How specific and complex will our demands become until they must be supplied only by machine?