1851

<a href="https://1851franchise.com/robo-restaurant-concept-of-the-future-or-already-here-2708929#most-recent">Although robot technology was already entering the food service segment prior to COVID-19</a>, the impact of the lockdown and severity of the virus has made the contact-free offerings of these autonomous creations more appealing. Robotics have traditionally been key components in manufacturing sectors such as automotive and aviation, but were relatively sparse in customer-facing segments such as hospitality and food service. Now, that is starting to change.Whether it be <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2020/06/10/restaurant-in-the-netherlands-to-use-robots-instead-of-waiters?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">robot waiters in the Netherlands</a> or a <a href="https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2020/06/24/country-garden-builds-worlds-first-robot-restaurant-china/33395/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">fully automated restaurant in China</a>, the idea of human-free dining service has re-entered the public consciousness as customers look for ways to alleviate the anxiety of eating out. Some of these robots even measure patrons’ temperatures before they enter the restaurant.<a href="https://www.boxdbyparamount.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Box’d</a> — billed as <a href="https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/06/16/boxd-toronto/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Canada's first fully automated restaurant</a> — opened this month in the midst of the pandemic. Customers order via a branded app or the Box’d website and pick up their meals from an electronic cubby fueled by <a href="https://www.givex.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Givex technology</a>. The restaurant may be competing with delivery apps, but at Box’d, food is picked up hot and fresh, unlike meals that arrive via third-party courier.&nbsp;There are several issues with these robotic concepts, however. For one, not all customers are thrilled at the idea of being served by an automated bot. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliewu/2020/06/30/during-covid-19-social-distancing-includes-robots-in-restaurants-and-food-delivery/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">In a PwC study from 2017/18,</a> 71% of Americans said they would rather interact with a human than a <a href="https://1851franchise.com/can-i-take-your-order-why-voice-ordering-is-revolutionizing-the-foodservice-space-2710983#most-recent">chatbot or some other automated process.</a>To combat this, Box’d founder Mohamad Fakih has designed human touchpoints to bridge the gap between hospitality and technology — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-robot-restaurants-failing-eatsa-cafex-2020-1?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">something that has caused the downfall of other automated restaurants</a>. At Box’d, a concierge greets customers, helping them navigate ordering systems and enforcing social distancing regulations. Plus, food is prepared by real chefs, not machines. A glass window into the kitchen allows customers to watch chefs prepping, cutting and preparing dishes. This also ensures that increasing automation does not come at the cost of actual human jobs, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/08/business/economy/april-jobs-report.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">especially during a time of record unemployment.</a>From an owner-operator standpoint, this impersonal experience may be contradictory to the reason they originally entered a business of razor-thin margins — they love serving people. Also, the upfront cost of many of these pieces of technology would make them unsuitable to the mom-and-pop establishments that are struggling during this time.Still, many franchisors have been incorporating automation into their model in recent years. <a href="https://1851franchise.com/dominos-plans-on-using-self-driving-delivery-vehicles-in-houston-2710273#stories">Domino’s announced last year that it had entered into a partnership with Nuro, a robotics delivery start-up, to test using its robots to transport pizzas from a store in Houston</a>. The brand has also partnered with Flirtey to deliver pizzas by autonomous drones in New Zealand and even built its own delivery robot in Australia. Last year, <a href="https://www.wilx.com/content/news/McDonalds-tests-robotic-fryers-and-voice-recognition-511635462.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">McDonald’s announced it would be testing robotic deep fryers</a>, which fry chicken, fish and fries using automated technology. <a href="https://1851franchise.com/einstein-level-technology-meets-einstein-bros-bagels-thanks-to-robot-delivery-2709540#most-recent">Einstein Bros. Bagels launched robot delivery on Northern Arizona University's Flagstaff campus last year as well.</a>Several tech companies are recognizing this demand in the QSR segment. <a href="https://misorobotics.com/flippy/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Miso Robotics developed Flippy</a>, an autonomous robotic kitchen assistant that learns from its surroundings and acquires new skills via deep learning techniques. Flippy, a vision-guided collaborative robot system, can cook food consistently every time and offers features such as automatic tool switching and cleaning, OSHA safety compliance, washdown compatibility, cloud-based monitoring and learning and currently runs with 99.7% uptime.While this kind of technology is revolutionary within the restaurant industry, it is not perfect. <a href="https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS45344519&utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">According to a IDC survey</a>, 25% of companies report up to a 50% failure rate for their AI projects. This could spell trouble for franchisors, as technology malfunctions can result in <a href="https://1851franchise.com/doordashs-data-breach-is-the-latest-in-cyber-security-issues-for-foodservice-brands-2711125#editorials">privacy threats for diners</a> and <a href="https://www.lexalytics.com/lexablog/stories-ai-failure-avoid-ai-fails-2019?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry-2713516" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">reputational risks</a> for restaurants.&nbsp;But in the time of COVID-19, change seems to be the only option.

Why Automated Restaurants May Be the Future of the Industry

1851 Franchise

Robots can’t catch COVID-19 — should they be the ones serving our food?

why-automated-restaurants-may-be-the-future-of-the-industry

Pet Wants

Pet Wants Franchisee Success Stories: The Journey From Corporate Life to Community Pet Advocate

pet-wants-franchisee-success-stories-the-journey-from-corporate-life-to-community-pet-advocate

Layne's Chicken Fingers

How Layne’s Leadership Has Built a National Franchise From a Historic Brand

how-laynes-leadership-has-built-a-national-franchise-from-a-historic-brand

photo of five Layne's Chicken Fingers team members standing in front of new drive-thru only Layne's

Layne’s Opens Three Houston Restaurants in Four Months, Plans To Do Same in West Texas and the Valley

laynes-opens-three-houston-restaurants-in-four-months

Bloomberg: Layne’s Chicken Fingers Stands Strong Amid Tariff Shock

Bloomberg: Layne’s Chicken Fingers Stands Strong Amid Tariff Shock, Hopes to Support American Manufacturing

laynes-chicken-fingers-tariff-impact-us-manufacturing

United Water Restoration Group

From Receptionist to General Manager: Caitlin Lopez’s Growth Journey at UWRG

From Receptionist to General Manager: Caitlin Lopez’s Growth Journey at United Water Restoration Group Long Island

united-water-restoration-group-long-island-caitlin-lopez-journey

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Yum Brands Reports Strong Q1 Results with Big Boost from Taco Bell

yum-brands-reports-strong-q1-results-with-big-boost-from-taco-bell

QSR: McDonald’s Gains Momentum With Chicken Innovation, Value Deals and Franchisee Support

mcdonalds-franchise-recovery-chicken-strategy-value-deals-2025

The Future of Franchising: Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond

the-future-of-franchising-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-and-beyond

Restaurant Business: Crumbl Cools Its Expansion, Refocuses on Profitability

restaurant-business-crumbl-cools-its-expansion-refocuses-on-profitability

Franchise Face-Lifts: Why Major Restaurant Brands Are Betting Big on Remodels

franchise-face-lifts-why-major-restaurant-brands-are-betting-big-on-remodels

Layoffs Surge to Pandemic-Era Highs, Opening Doors for Franchise Growth

layoffs-surge-to-pandemic-era-highs-opening-doors-for-franchise-growth

1851 Agg - McDonald's Sales Decline Expansion Continues - 1851 Franchise

McDonald’s Franchisees Feel the Pressure as Sales Decline and Expansion Continues

mcdonalds-franchisees-feel-the-pressure-as-sales-decline-and-expansion-continues

Franchisee spotlight image with Randy and Sandy Craft, Children's Lighthouse logo on blue background

The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

the-crafts-successful-journey-from-new-parents-to-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees

Franchisee spotlight image with photo of Robert Trujillo and UWRG logo on blue background

How Robert Trujillo Expanded His Construction Business With UWRG

how-robert-trujillo-expanded-his-construction-business-with-uwrg

District Taco Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-district-tacos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Greeva Patel and BIGGBY COFFEE logo

BIGGBY® COFFEE Franchisee Brings Passion for Community and Coffee to East Dundee

biggby-coffee-franchise-east-dundee-illinois

Franchise Financial Reporting, Analytics and Business Intelligence | Qvinci

Franchise Financial Reporting, Analytics and Business Intelligence | Qvinci — Emerging Leaders in Franchise Support

franchise-financial-reporting-analytics-and-business-intelligence-qvinci-emerging-leaders-in-franchise-support

Why Automated Restaurants May Be the Future of the Industry

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS