AI and Restaurants: An Industry That's AI-Proof?

Sitting in Bella Italia with my family, the restaurant suddenly erupted with laughter as a waiter with a sweet voice sang happy birthday to a nearby table. Wow they can really hold a tune I thought, as I spun round to check out who owned the voice. Huh! I suddenly realised this voice was not coming from a human. Instead, it was being projected from a 3ft(ish) cat-like robot, who was belting out an encore whilst delivering a plethora of desserts to the birthday table.

And that got me thinking... novel as it is to have a robot serve tables in your restaurant. Had that robot stolen some poor human waiter's job? Did you need to tip this robot waiter? What happened if you wanted an informed opinion to help you decide between two dishes? I appreciate the huge benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, but surely a machine couldn't learn to form a view on something that it can't even consume?! In a world where staffed checkouts are being replaced by self-service kiosks and takeaways are being delivered by drones; do people really want to get rid of human waiting staff too?

Turns out they don't. Or so 80% of the people we polled agreed. When it comes to dining in restaurants, human interaction and rapport with waiting staff is key and all part of the experience. But that's only front of house. How about the kitchen? As AI started exploding, rumours of machines replacing kitchen staff started unsettling the restaurant industry. But again, really? Can the passion and love that most chefs use to create their dishes really be replaced by a machine? A piece of machinery that has no tastebuds and whose only 'opinion' is what it has been taught to have by a human? Personally, I think not.

Ok, so if our front and back of house staff are AI-proof, is there room for AI in restaurants at all? I believe there is. But not as some big scary AI monster looking to steal everyone's jobs. As a tool to assist the humans in enhancing the customer experience.

For example, providing your waiting staff with a handheld device that is programmed with the allergen information for each item on the menu. Allowing them to answer any queries relating to allergies at the table rather than reporting back to the kitchen. Or, the ability to detail the exact cost breakdown of every ingredient in each dish, providing management with clear and concise P&L reporting.

So in summary, your restaurant customers want you! Not an artifical interaction or a dish cooked by a machine. Humans are what adds value to your restaurant and the restaurant experience for your customers. There's room for AI too, but only if it helps you.

If you're considering hospitality software to help with your restaurant operation then give our sales team a call on 0800 059 0991. They'll be happy to help.