Moto: From Dining To Open-Source Software

Two months ago there was a mention of Moto on Phoronix as being a place for a wonderful (and tasty) high-tech dinner. At the time it was mentioned just for their use of interesting technologies to make wonderful dishes, and partnerships with NASA and other organizations to conduct food research. Come to find out, my favorite American restaurant is also entering the open-source software business. The restaurant is working on some interesting open-source code... In particular, they're hoping to revolutionize restaurant management software with this project they have been working on, dubbed Moto Matrix.

Moto restaurant mentions, "This software program will be the first point of sale system to become fully automated and ready for commercial use in 2012. It encompasses every aspect of business management including providing up to the minute profit and loss analysis, managing profit and loss and cost control analysis."

The video they have published on Moto Matrix (the video is embedded below) also claims, "It will be open source and can speak any language with voice commands. Literally." So while many open-source users may not be interested in restaurant software directly, assuming this code does end up being publicly open-source, some other side-dependencies developed as a result may be interesting in their own right. From the video, there's even integration with alerting them about cleaning/checking the bathroom, among other features. I assume it will have a plug-in style architecture.

This software has been reportedly in development for years by Cantu Designs, which is the consulting firm founded by Homaro Cantu, the executive chef and founder of Moto. The design firm is reportedly venturing even beyond just food and open-source software and into aerospace and famine relief as well. They've already designed their own utensils and other items for the restaurant.

After the June dinner when touring their kitchen, I had also saw their restaurant software at the time, which appears to be an earlier version of this software. At that time I saw it running under Mac OS X, so a port to Linux should be relatively straight-forward if there isn't one already.

If the quality of their software is as good as their food, the restaurant world is in for a real treat.

Now if only there was this software at Augustiner's Oktoberfest tent, my Maß of Augustiner Hell and Hendl might arrive even faster! Or arguably, even better for Augustiner Keller and the other Munich establishments... But for any of the open-source Linux developers coming to Chicago next month for the X.Org Developers' Conference, if you are looking to dine at a fabulous open-source-friendly restaurant, be sure to make your reservations quickly for Moto Restaurant. Presumably the same software is also being tested at Homaro's other less-expensive restaurant (iNG Restaurant), but I haven't been there yet to know if that's the case.