Aug. 24, 2021, may go down in history as the start of the restaurant robot revolution.
On that day earlier this week, Sweetgreen announced it was acquiring robot-powered bowl concept Spyce, with plans to bring Spyce’s automated makeline into an undetermined number of its more than 130 restaurants.
Sweetgreen is a trendy, fast-growing chain with an IPO in the works, making the deal a landmark for robotics, and for restaurant technology in general. And while it was the biggest development Tuesday, it wasn’t the only one. 800 Degrees Pizza that day unveiled plans to add a whopping 3,600 units over the next five years in the form of automated pizza machines. And 70-unit Wing Zone said it’s testing robots that can make chicken wings.
For restaurants, or at least chains, it marks a major step toward more kitchen automation. And it makes sense that this is happening now. As the industry faces down an interminable labor problem, robotics companies promise to take care of less-desirable tasks, reducing the burden on human workers and freeing them up to do other things.
It’s an attractive scenario for a lot of restaurants. Their customers, however, still have some reservations about it. Most still prefer to have a human being prepare and serve their food, with safety being a prime concern.
That’s according to new research from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic, which found that more than half of consumers agree that they would rather have a restaurant staffer prepare and serve their food or drinks.
Source: Technomic Omnibus Survey, August 2021
Of the more than 1,000 people surveyed, very felt strongly otherwise: Just 4.3% said they disagree that it is better to have restaurant staff prepare their food; 5% said the same when it came to serving the food.
Respondents appeared to be unswayed by the argument that it is safer to have a robot cook and serve them. During the pandemic, many robotics companies touted the contactless nature of their technology as diners became increasingly wary about excess human interaction in restaurants.
But Technomic found that just 12.7% of consumers agree that it’s safer for a robot to prepare their food. Twelve percent said the same about the prospect of a robot serving them.
Source: Technomic Omnibus Survey, August 2021
A study published last year by Ball State University and the University of Nevada Las Vegas sheds some light on what diners might be worried about. Focus groups with fast-food consumers revealed a preference for “human touch” when it came to their meal. And some worried about the cleanliness and sanitation of the robots themselves, as well as their ability to identify problems with the food.
Their overriding reaction, though, was more of a shrug. In short, they felt, “It’s coming whether we like it or not,” said Dina Marie Zemke, an associate professor at Ball State and the lead author of the study.
If this week’s developments are any indication, they’re probably right.