A lot of low-range restaurants work in Australia and New Zealand. Is this really that rare in America?
I also know of a place near me where you order at the counter, and someone brings you your food when it's ready, but they don't "wait on you" beyond that.
Panera (sandwich & soup chain) used to have you order at a counter and collect your food when it was done, but they have been trying to get people to use touchscreens for ordering, and take a radio homing device* to your table so you can be brought food by the people who used to take your order.
*where the low tech solution that would work just as well is to simply ask your name when ordering.
Chic filet uses number placards.
That means that aside from taking orders, only the lowest skill, lowest interaction front-of-the-house job remains (bussing tables), and if they foot-drag a bit on that, the customers wind up doing it for them...
I think the difference the article is trying to make is the places like Souvla (fast-casual), that have nice decor, good/high-end food and wine options and potentially restaurant like prices, are targeting the normal mid-high end customers but using low-cost the self serve model.
Souvla does get old quite fast, but nowadays I'm definitely drawn to fast-casual places if I'm just interested to eat and not spend the whole day/night in the restaurant. You know what you get, the quality is good, its at least perceivably healthier (you don't feel sick like you would after McDonalds) it's fast (even with lines, you know you are in and out in 15-30mins) and there usually no table seating rules (you can order and sit down even if one of your friends is 15mins late).
It is rare for a place that sells their cheapest 250ml glass of wine for $13USD to operate this way.
But likely this was just chosen as a restaurant to fit the discussion of certain types of labour being priced out of SF.