September 24, 2024
Image Courtesy of Chipotle
Will Diners Eventually Welcome Robot Chefs and Servers?
A recent survey found that 55% of global consumers agree automated food preparation is unacceptable for both quick-service and table-service restaurants.
Only a small minority of respondents in the survey from Software Advice were open to robot servers at quick service restaurants (30%), and even less so for table service (10%). Overall, 67% agreed that human-centered customer service at restaurants is “very important,” more than double the 31% claiming the same of retail and grocery stores.
On the favorable side, automation that can speed up wait times and make personalized recommendations based on past orders was found to be increasingly welcomed by many. Among the survey respondents, 49% were likely to order food through an AI tool, such as a chatbot or drive-thru.
The debate continues over how much automation will be acceptable as part of the dining-out experience as restaurants keep testing new technologies.
Chipotle last week said it was testing two machines in its restaurants for the first time, including one that can cut, core, and peel avocados in 26 seconds on average, halving the time it takes human workers to make guacamole. The second builds bowls and salads, which make up 65% of the chain’s digital orders, while employees focus on making burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and kids’ meals.
Curt Garner, chief customer and technology officer at Chipotle, said, “Optimizing our use of these systems and incorporating crew and customer feedback are the next steps in the stage-gate process before determining their broader pilot plans.”
Sweetgreen, White Castle, McDonald’s, and Denny’s are among food establishments also experimenting with automated cooks and servers.
With questions framed differently to point out robotics’ potential benefits, a survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults from kitchen robot maker Nala Robotics taken in 2022 found that 60% of respondents said food cooked by a robot would be the same or better than that prepared by a person.
The top perceived dining benefits of robotic chefs included:
- Hygiene (contactless, human touch-free food handling), 58%
- Consistency (no missing ingredients, dishes prepared as intended), 56%
- Speed (food arrives quickly), 54%
- Cost (decreased restaurant operational costs means lower-priced dishes), 45%
- Cross-contamination (avoids spread of harmful bacteria and allergy-causing foods), 32%
Sharon Zackfia, a restaurant analyst at William Blair Equity Research, recently told the Wall Street Journal that rising labor costs will drive more automation in restaurants in the next decade, likely following a similar adoption pattern as online ordering.
Still, a recent New York Times article indicated that one hurdle around restaurant automation is people wanting to connect with humans while dining out. The article stated, “They want to encounter people, not a chatbot, kiosk or mechanical arm. So successfully integrating robots is more than just an engineering challenge.”
Many restaurant owners appear to agree on the importance of human touch.
Capterra’s 2022 Restaurant Automation Survey of 174 restaurant professionals found that most restaurants (76%) were already using automation in three or more areas of operation and agreed that certain roles are more automatable than others.
When asked which human roles cannot be easily replaced by using today’s automation technology, the top roles seen as irreplaceable were chef/cook, cited by 76%; followed by managerial staff, 68%; waitstaff/server, 56%; and bartender/barback, 53%. Hosts, baristas, and drive-thru operators were seen as more easily replaced, and in some cases improved, by automation technology.
“Chef robots are currently very limited in their capabilities (e.g., mixing beverages or operating deep fryers),” Capterra said. “Managers, waitstaff, and bartenders add a personal touch to diners’ experiences and take a unique skill set not offered by current robotic solutions.”
BrainTrust
Georganne Bender
Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking
Paula Rosenblum
Co-founder, RSR Research
Shep Hyken
Chief Amazement Officer, Shepard Presentations, LLC
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Will robot chefs, servers, and bartenders be much more common over the next decade?
What are the primary hurdles to greater adoption of automation at quick-service and table-service restaurants?
Poll
Loading …
In some limited contexts they might, including in some fast casual and QSR settings where convenience is the focus – such as at a drive-thru. In many others they will not, especially in higher end dining and times when they want interaction. One of the key things about dining out, especially at the higher end, is to have an experience, and that includes interaction with servers. Having some kind of robot wheel itself along to take an order is just shabby – and, frankly, why even bother with that when people could just order via their phones or a device on the table! As for chefs, I am sure robots can do basic tasks like flip burgers. But higher end, Michelin chefs have creativity, imagination and flair that I don’t see robots replicating. We seriously need to stop with this ridiculous obsession that robots will replace everything and anything. They will not.
First, let’s talk about the word “chef.” A chef is someone who is trained to prepare dishes with creativity, and can run a busy, professional kitchen. A cook makes delicious food but doesn’t have the same credentials as a chef.
The term “robot chef” is really an oxymoron. Robots perform tasks as programmed, but they are not and never will replace chefs. Robots cannot replace a highly skilled and caring server either.
Some of us are so in love with technology that we are willing to over look important things that only human talent can deliver.
I completely agree. There is a reason not everything in life is reduced to the lowest common denominator or the most cost-effective process: because added value is extremely important, and it’s actually one of the ways of extracting higher prices and higher margins. Human interaction and ingenuity are a vital part of this.
The Automat. So it’s been done before. That having been said, while people might accept this, I doubt they would “welcome” it. The inital rollout of robo-whatevers will be concentrated in back-room functions.
Interesting that you bring up the Automat. I never thought about how the food got in there…who cooked it, etc. I just knew it was low-end and fast, and for a child (which I was), vaguely interesting.
But the Food Network and shows like Top Chef exist for a reason. The need to cook, cook well and add the human touch is almost Darwinian. I don’t even cook often, but I love to have my food cooked for me. I love to watch it being prepared. Fascinated by the knife skills of great chefs. Will we have the “Great British Bake-off” with robots?
Life is supposed to be at least a little interesting. C’mon.
Exactly, Paula. I’d suggest that in QSR, we’re getting closer to the Automat experience. Every QSR I visit these days has a kiosk for ordering and tendering payment. I can get in and out of McDonald’s and never speak to another human.
Good news. The new season of the Great British Baking Show starts friday!
My understanding is that the human contact at the Automat was the woman at the entrance who made change (all of the food selections were priced in increments of a nickel)…so it sounds like we’ve already moved beyond that!
While automation offers many advantages, robots cannot truly replace trained chefs or mixologist bartenders. The artistry and creativity of a chef or a mixologist, particularly in crafting unique flavors and personalized experiences, are things that robots cannot replicate. However, in fast-food environments, robots do offer clear benefits, such as improved hygiene and efficiency. That said, one key challenge is how these robots will handle answering questions about food ingredients, allergens, or other dietary concerns—something that requires detailed knowledge and human nuance.
Since I don’t frequent Chipotle or any QSR, it won’t matter if the food is prepared by a robot or a chimpanzee. But as to replacing human servers with robots, it may be cute as a novelty (imagine a bunch of black-tied R2D2s rolling around the restaurant floor without ever bumping into each other and beeping your order to the kitchen). It will work as long as they only replace those servers who are untrainable and don’t know a fish fork from a fork in the road.
Dining out addresses different needs. Convenience and experiential. Robots and automation are serving a means to an end when people are looking to grab a quick meal. Conversely, dining at a restaurant, particularly a higher end restaurant is about the experience. The expectation is that the food is going to be prepared with care and better ingredients. Human interaction and ambience play a key role is setting the stage. Robots and automation, particularly in the front of house would seem out of place and off putting in that setting.
Robotic food preparation may currently seem unappealing to many consumers, largely because few have had the chance to experience it firsthand. It is human nature to view unfamiliar situations with skepticism.
However, if we reflect on the past thirty years, we can see that most consumers would have found drive-thru windows unacceptable, and fifty years ago, the concept of “bagging your own groceries” would have been unimaginable.
Technology, trends, and business models evolve over time, and consumers adapt accordingly.
Obviously, this can work in a fast casual restaurant as the expectation is quite different than nicer and higher-end restaurants. Machines can automate repetitive tasks for food prep, but for now and the foreseeable future, I can’t see automation, other than for some basic food prep, replacing the oversight of an executive chef at a Michelin star-rated restaurant.
First question, what’s a robot bar tender or waiter? Is it an android robot mixing cocktails like the Star Wars Cantina? Or is it touching a card on a reader and putting my glass under a spout and getting my cocktail of choice dispenses?
I believe, as many have noted here, that we’re a long way away from a fully automated, robot staffed restaurant winning any Michelin stars or JD Power Service awards. Time to remember fine restaurants do not sell food, they sell experiences. The human interaction is part of that experience. I don’t see it being replaced anytime soon.
IF the robots come with lower price points for the food and drink served, this vision of the future may very well become reality. Speaking for myself I would prefer a bartender that can carry on a conversation.
As indicated in the article, when the question is phrased as customer benefit, the responses change. Of course people want all those benefits. And if that means robots need to do the work to deliver those benefits, they’ll be all for it.
Most of the packaged food purchased uses some level of robotics and automation to deliver volume, quality and consistency. Extending robotics and automation to meal prep to lower costs and improve quality and consistency is a natural progression.
Successful use of robotics and automation will be the result of revising the processes used today. Trying to automated existing processes isn’t optimal path forward.
Replication is key for a restaurant to be successful.
A guest wants their meal cooked exactly as it was cooked the last time they visited – it’s the reason they came back. Robots should excel at most simple tasks.
The artistry of a top chef is beyond the reach of a robot. But, programming their guidance is not.
Even as an ardent believer in technology, I don’t see robots taking over as chefs. Maybe robots get involved in automated food preparation in the background to ensure consistency, but certainly not as chefs.
The article anchors on the struggle between embracing enhanced levels of automation while still retaining a sense of hospitality. While I agree with this tension, I struggle to find common ground with elements of the data findings. For example, the notion that people are keen to engage with back-of-house staff doing prep work (i.e. the person slicing avocados) is hard to grasp. Certain touch points along the customer journey will remain rigidly personal (i.e. welcoming to a restaurant and small talk at the start of the order); however, we are moving toward a world of choice and optionality in dining and/or hospitality preferences.
This past week, due to delayed flights, I arrived at my hotel around 11:30pm (vs. 6:30pm). All I wanted was my hotel key but, instead of a self-service kiosk, I was forced to engage with a (very cheerful and warm) check-in staff. Had there been a less personal and more automated option, I probably would have been more satisfied. Same with movie chains that offer separate experiences for loyalty vs. non-loyalty members. Neither is “right” or “wrong”, only more preferred by that consumer at that point in time.
Just as hospitality providers will embrace robot, they also need to re-think their delivery model to accommodate a much more varied customer preference base.
More Discussions
Why Did Amazon End Palm Pay?
What’s behind Amazon’s pullback on palm pay?Will Spotify’s New Page Match Feature Impress Bookworms?
Will Spotify’s new Page Match feature drive sales of both audiobooks and physical books?Is it Fair To Describe Walmart as ‘Basically’ a Tech Company?
Is Walmart becoming a tech company?
In some limited contexts they might, including in some fast casual and QSR settings where convenience is the focus – such as at a drive-thru. In many others they will not, especially in higher end dining and times when they want interaction. One of the key things about dining out, especially at the higher end, is to have an experience, and that includes interaction with servers. Having some kind of robot wheel itself along to take an order is just shabby – and, frankly, why even bother with that when people could just order via their phones or a device on the table! As for chefs, I am sure robots can do basic tasks like flip burgers. But higher end, Michelin chefs have creativity, imagination and flair that I don’t see robots replicating. We seriously need to stop with this ridiculous obsession that robots will replace everything and anything. They will not.
First, let’s talk about the word “chef.” A chef is someone who is trained to prepare dishes with creativity, and can run a busy, professional kitchen. A cook makes delicious food but doesn’t have the same credentials as a chef.
The term “robot chef” is really an oxymoron. Robots perform tasks as programmed, but they are not and never will replace chefs. Robots cannot replace a highly skilled and caring server either.
Some of us are so in love with technology that we are willing to over look important things that only human talent can deliver.
I completely agree. There is a reason not everything in life is reduced to the lowest common denominator or the most cost-effective process: because added value is extremely important, and it’s actually one of the ways of extracting higher prices and higher margins. Human interaction and ingenuity are a vital part of this.
The Automat. So it’s been done before. That having been said, while people might accept this, I doubt they would “welcome” it. The inital rollout of robo-whatevers will be concentrated in back-room functions.
Interesting that you bring up the Automat. I never thought about how the food got in there…who cooked it, etc. I just knew it was low-end and fast, and for a child (which I was), vaguely interesting.
But the Food Network and shows like Top Chef exist for a reason. The need to cook, cook well and add the human touch is almost Darwinian. I don’t even cook often, but I love to have my food cooked for me. I love to watch it being prepared. Fascinated by the knife skills of great chefs. Will we have the “Great British Bake-off” with robots?
Life is supposed to be at least a little interesting. C’mon.
Exactly, Paula. I’d suggest that in QSR, we’re getting closer to the Automat experience. Every QSR I visit these days has a kiosk for ordering and tendering payment. I can get in and out of McDonald’s and never speak to another human.
Good news. The new season of the Great British Baking Show starts friday!
My understanding is that the human contact at the Automat was the woman at the entrance who made change (all of the food selections were priced in increments of a nickel)…so it sounds like we’ve already moved beyond that!
While automation offers many advantages, robots cannot truly replace trained chefs or mixologist bartenders. The artistry and creativity of a chef or a mixologist, particularly in crafting unique flavors and personalized experiences, are things that robots cannot replicate. However, in fast-food environments, robots do offer clear benefits, such as improved hygiene and efficiency. That said, one key challenge is how these robots will handle answering questions about food ingredients, allergens, or other dietary concerns—something that requires detailed knowledge and human nuance.
Since I don’t frequent Chipotle or any QSR, it won’t matter if the food is prepared by a robot or a chimpanzee. But as to replacing human servers with robots, it may be cute as a novelty (imagine a bunch of black-tied R2D2s rolling around the restaurant floor without ever bumping into each other and beeping your order to the kitchen). It will work as long as they only replace those servers who are untrainable and don’t know a fish fork from a fork in the road.
Dining out addresses different needs. Convenience and experiential. Robots and automation are serving a means to an end when people are looking to grab a quick meal. Conversely, dining at a restaurant, particularly a higher end restaurant is about the experience. The expectation is that the food is going to be prepared with care and better ingredients. Human interaction and ambience play a key role is setting the stage. Robots and automation, particularly in the front of house would seem out of place and off putting in that setting.
Robotic food preparation may currently seem unappealing to many consumers, largely because few have had the chance to experience it firsthand. It is human nature to view unfamiliar situations with skepticism.
However, if we reflect on the past thirty years, we can see that most consumers would have found drive-thru windows unacceptable, and fifty years ago, the concept of “bagging your own groceries” would have been unimaginable.
Technology, trends, and business models evolve over time, and consumers adapt accordingly.
Obviously, this can work in a fast casual restaurant as the expectation is quite different than nicer and higher-end restaurants. Machines can automate repetitive tasks for food prep, but for now and the foreseeable future, I can’t see automation, other than for some basic food prep, replacing the oversight of an executive chef at a Michelin star-rated restaurant.
First question, what’s a robot bar tender or waiter? Is it an android robot mixing cocktails like the Star Wars Cantina? Or is it touching a card on a reader and putting my glass under a spout and getting my cocktail of choice dispenses?
I believe, as many have noted here, that we’re a long way away from a fully automated, robot staffed restaurant winning any Michelin stars or JD Power Service awards. Time to remember fine restaurants do not sell food, they sell experiences. The human interaction is part of that experience. I don’t see it being replaced anytime soon.
IF the robots come with lower price points for the food and drink served, this vision of the future may very well become reality. Speaking for myself I would prefer a bartender that can carry on a conversation.
As indicated in the article, when the question is phrased as customer benefit, the responses change. Of course people want all those benefits. And if that means robots need to do the work to deliver those benefits, they’ll be all for it.
Most of the packaged food purchased uses some level of robotics and automation to deliver volume, quality and consistency. Extending robotics and automation to meal prep to lower costs and improve quality and consistency is a natural progression.
Successful use of robotics and automation will be the result of revising the processes used today. Trying to automated existing processes isn’t optimal path forward.
Replication is key for a restaurant to be successful.
A guest wants their meal cooked exactly as it was cooked the last time they visited – it’s the reason they came back. Robots should excel at most simple tasks.
The artistry of a top chef is beyond the reach of a robot. But, programming their guidance is not.
Even as an ardent believer in technology, I don’t see robots taking over as chefs. Maybe robots get involved in automated food preparation in the background to ensure consistency, but certainly not as chefs.
The article anchors on the struggle between embracing enhanced levels of automation while still retaining a sense of hospitality. While I agree with this tension, I struggle to find common ground with elements of the data findings. For example, the notion that people are keen to engage with back-of-house staff doing prep work (i.e. the person slicing avocados) is hard to grasp. Certain touch points along the customer journey will remain rigidly personal (i.e. welcoming to a restaurant and small talk at the start of the order); however, we are moving toward a world of choice and optionality in dining and/or hospitality preferences.
This past week, due to delayed flights, I arrived at my hotel around 11:30pm (vs. 6:30pm). All I wanted was my hotel key but, instead of a self-service kiosk, I was forced to engage with a (very cheerful and warm) check-in staff. Had there been a less personal and more automated option, I probably would have been more satisfied. Same with movie chains that offer separate experiences for loyalty vs. non-loyalty members. Neither is “right” or “wrong”, only more preferred by that consumer at that point in time.
Just as hospitality providers will embrace robot, they also need to re-think their delivery model to accommodate a much more varied customer preference base.