As of 2006, it began to be heard that some restaurants had changed their human workforce for robots, an example is the Bytes restaurant in the United Kingdom, where robot waiters and chefs serve visitors.
Spyce, a restaurant located in Washington and defined by its founders as “the world’s first restaurant to offer a robotic kitchen that cooks complex meals” is another example of this trend.
Even the use of Flippy, a robot that prepared hamburgers in the CaliBurger hamburger chain is another example of digitization in this industry, however this robot had to be replaced by a human hand because it did not withstand so much pressure from orders.
This futuristic wave that this sector is adopting is becoming more and more common, not only because of the change in mentality towards digital, but also because it is now possible to integrate another form of service: digital and thus boost personalized engagement.
And it is that the new generations, such as millennials and centennials, want everything faster with an efficient process. According to a report published by Bank of America, titled “New Kids On The Block. Millennials & Centennials Primer”, these generations represent 27% and 32% respectively of the world’s population.
Immediate orders, happy customers: What is it that attracts users?
According to the Restaurant Technology Study, conducted by Hospitality Technology magazine, the problem for many restaurants is not insufficient budget, but poor choice in allocation of funds.
“Most managers want to invest more, but they are tied to the expenses and investments already made and if these have not been done in the right direction, there is no possibility of obtaining the expected benefits and allowing new investments to be made in technological innovations”, reads the study.
The main investment of restaurants, in recent years, has been linked to software, since until now it was about point-of-sale systems and terminals that allowed an improvement in work within the establishment. But now the investments seem to be aimed at improving the customer experience, improving mobility in deliveries and fostering new ways of communicating with users in the digital world.
Through the implementation of technological innovations, aimed at improving customer engagement, restaurants have to adapt to the rhythm of their users of any generation, who are eager for increasingly technological experiences.
Restaurants are prioritizing this sector, as 53% of operators agree that it is a top strategic goal for technology.
On the other hand, in China, Robot. He, a restaurant where only robots serve you, ensures that the main objective of this type of restaurant is not only to improve the service provided, but also to reduce operating costs.
However, acquiring this type of technology is expensive and only large companies can implement them, according to Wang Hesheng, a professor of robotics at Shanghai Jiaotong University.
This happens in Mexico
Despite the fact that most of the “futuristic” or technological restaurants are found in countries such as China, Germany or the United States, in Mexico, the Tokio Inc restaurant is the first intelligent Japanese food restaurant located in Mexico City and although human contact still exists, it is limited only to the entrance.
Tokio Inc, located on Matías Romero street, wants to take the user as if they were in Japan, when they enter the establishment there is a host who will help you if it is the first time you go. This is as far as the human interaction between diner and service provider.
Ordering is very simple, since everything is done through a tablet that is attached to the table, it contains the entire menu, from the starters, the desserts and even the bill, if a user wants to order à la carte it is as if you were using an app to make the super, one can choose which condiments the dish goes with or not.
At the end of the order, this information automatically reaches the kitchen so that the chef on duty can make your dish. In just minutes your order will arrive by an electric band in a foodtrain which will be removed when you have collected your dishes.
If you prefer to choose a 29-peso dish, you can take it directly from the magnetic strip that carries several sushi rolls and this selection is reflected directly in your account.
Despite being an intelligent restaurant, you can still feel the human hand, because when you ask for the bill, the restaurant’s waitresses help you, taking the terminal to pay with card or cash.
In addition to its promotions and affordable prices, the Japanese concept that it brings to Mexico, the curiosity or simply wanting to see the foodtrain with the requested order can make this concept attractive to Mexicans.