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I went to Soma Kombucha on Capitol Hill yesterday. The kombucha is not really my thing (all I can taste is the vinegar) but they have interesting flavors like ginger strawberry and you can use the sample cups to try the ones they have on tap. There is also an infra-red light on the wall for free “red light therapy”. But the most unusual thing was that to get in the door, you had to scan a QR code, enter your phone number on a webpage, confirm your number with a 4-digit code, then use Apple Pay (or a credit card) to pay $1 to open the door. (You can then use the coupon code “NEW” for $1 off your first order to get your money back.) They have a security camera inside, but as far as I can tell, no employees on duty. The sign in the door did warn you not to let strangers tailgate, and said that you are responsible for the conduct of anyone who gets in with your “unlock”. (Although I’m not sure how that would be enforceable – if someone tailgates you and steals something, or if you let in a friend who steals something and there’s no evidence that you’re in on it, they can’t criminally charge you and they don’t have any of your info except your phone number and your face on camera.) Still, presumably the all-in cost of a human employee is hundreds of dollars a day, so unless the “honor system” ends up costing them more than that, maybe they’ll stick with it. And it would be interesting to see what other types of retail places might try it — presumably nothing with food that requires human preparation, or high-theft-risk items, or that requires checking ID — but non-age-restricted-drinks could work. Anyone seen any other Seattle businesses doing this currently? submitted by /u/bennetthaselton |
