2. Robots as the future of the labor shortage?
Folks from across the food space highlighted the problems they’re up against: sustainability, supply, connecting consumers with certain products, etc. But anyone speaking about restaurants shared the same top problem. “The biggest issue right now is recruit and retain,” said Anna Tauzin Rice, VP of Marketing and Innovation for the Texas Restaurant Association.
There was talk of some software programs that could potentially link up a pool of qualified laborers with a group of restaurants to fill as-needed shifts, but the real answer seemed to be robots that could automate simple, repetitive tasks such as dishwashing and burger flipping. While this is what the industry wants, though, it was not necessarily what was on display at SXSW. Robot arms were around, but the one that caught attention: Pepper. The C3PO-looking bot with a tablet for a stomach steps into the role of server, letting diners ask questions and order via the tablet, delivering meals, and letting guests pay, without human interaction.
The debate: Does it eliminate too much hospitality, if guests are confident with the service—from accurate answers to questions to not letting their credit card out of sight? The consensus was that, while not affordable for mass market yet, robotics could be where we are headed in the not-too-distant future.