Man Goes To Kansas Restaurant Without Any Servers. He Shows How Customers Get Their Food: ‘That’s One Way To Eliminate Tipping’

A man has gone viral after visiting Fritz’s Railroad restaurant. But where have all the servers gone?

We’ve heard of self-serving beer robots and self-serving yogurt shops, but this one TikToker’s experience at a Fritz’s Railroad restaurant does something a lot more innovative in the absence of servers.

In the viral TikTok, which has amassed 4.3 million views, Austin Zimmerman (@zimmerman333) shared his experience with viewers.

Filming himself inside the restaurant, he says, “I’m at a restaurant right now that has no servers. You literally have to call in your order, and then it gets delivered on these tracks by a train.”

As he says this, he pans the person opposite them who is ordering with what looks like a landline phone.

The Train Delivery

A train close to the ceiling then puffs past with a box of food. Zimmerman is hopeful that it’s his, but alas, it is not.

“The cool part is that this entire restaurant is covered with these tracks that come directly from the kitchen right to your table,” he adds.

The camera pans the whole restaurant, which has tracks high up on the walls near the ceiling.

“Right, I think this one is finally ours,” Zimmerman adds as the food from the train drops on a tray.

The tray then slowly lowers to the table.

“There we go!” Zimmerman adds. “And it should start to come down just like that, and then all you have to do is really just pick it off that tray, set it on your table, and you’re good to go. Such a cool concept.”

Freddie, operations manager of Fritz’s Railroad, said in an emailed statement, “We loved seeing the video and watching someone experience Fritz’s train delivery system for the first time. Fritz’s has been a Kansas City tradition for generations, and the trains have always been a big part of what makes the experience special. One of our favorite things is seeing people who grew up coming to Fritz’s now bringing their own children to experience it. It’s been really fun to see the video introduce Fritz’s to a whole new audience, and we’re grateful for all the excitement and kind comments.”

BroBible reached out to Zimmerman via Facebook message.

‘So No Tips, Right?’

Some commenters were amused by the gimmick and had a lot of anti-tipping jokes.

“So no tips right?” one asked. Another, echoing that sentiment, quipped, “Thats one way to eliminate tipping.”

“What if the food sucks, who am I suppose to yell at?” a third joked.

Others were concerned by the more practical elements.

“I’m wondering how you would return food if they didn’t get it right,” a fourth said.

“What if it malfunctions and drops hot food on someone?” a fifth wrote.

A fifth asked, “So what about refills? Are the drinks self service?”

What Is Fritz’s Railroad?

Fritz’s Railroad is a chain of railroad-inspired restaurants in three main locations: Kansas City, Kansas, the Crown Center, and Shawnee, Kansas. Per the restaurant’s website, Fritz’s, a fifties-style drive-in restaurant, was originally established in 1954, located at 32nd and Brown Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. It was established by Fritz and Virginia Kropf following Frtiz’s return from the U.S. Navy a few years earlier.

They then added a second location on 18th Street in the 1960s. The food delivery system Fritz’s has become known for was nicknamed the “Skat Kat” and was developed in Fritz’s own basement. It was made to account for the labor shortage as Fritz tried to manage two restaurant locations. At first, Fritz resisted the train comparisons but later played into that unique selling point.

Fritz’s remains family-ran by Fritz and Virginia’s youngest son, Fred, and his wife, Mary.

“Fritz’s has become a Kansas City landmark, an experience that has brought families together for decades,” Fred told the Columbia Missourian. “Many of our guests first visited as children and now return with kids and grandkids of their own, continuing a tradition that’s uniquely tied to the community.”

He added, “Guests often describe Fritz’s as nostalgic, fun and memorable. The trains, the atmosphere, and the sense of tradition are what keep people coming back.”