Could this be the face that greets you at your table at a restaurant in the near future?
Technology is advancing at a rapid rate and with that being the case, it is worth wondering what industries will continue to evolve thanks to the increased presence of tech in the world. This trend will definitely include the culinary industry, which will see plenty of evolution thanks to automation in the near future. Here are a few ways in which fine dining could be influenced by robots and the like.
Kitchen staff
One way in which the restaurant game could be impacted by automation is the use of robots in the kitchen. Washing dishes and cooking food are things that could theoretically be done by robots, as they could be programmed to do the things that make a restaurant run seamlessly. Robots cooking meals is an especially interesting subject, as recipes and other things needed to cook successfully are an interesting thing to think about automating.
While the thought of a robot cooking a meal at a restaurant with a high star count seems absurd, it might not be as crazy as you would think. The chances of cooking becoming automated in restaurants are considered to be high. The preparation of each meal could one day be pre-programmed to ensure accuracy without the need for the human touch. Some of the finer techniques in cooking would require a strong effort in coding these machines, but it certainly is not out of the realm of possibility.
Automated bartending is already taking shape in some parts of the world.
Waitstaff
The waitstaff at a restaurant is the main way in which customers interact with a dining establishment, whether the place is a hole in the wall or a Michelin Star facility. And one way in which we will implementation of automation in restaurants is the use of automated waitstaff in the form of robot waiters and waitresses. While that could be something that wouldn’t happen for a long time, it is certainly within the realm of possibility.
Imagine a world where a customer is seated at a restaurant and is greeted by a machine that presents a screen to them where they can scroll through menu items and pick what they would like to eat and drink. Instead of a person walking over to a machine to generate a ticket for the kitchen to start an order, the automated waiter could immediately transmit the order to the kitchen to get it prepared more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Then, at the end of a meal, the customer can just swipe their card and be on their way.
Of course, some restaurant-goers might prefer the personal touch that comes with having a human wait on them. That is, of course, a matter of preference and there is nothing wrong with that option. The main point, though, is that it is entirely possible that one day we will see people being waited on by automated services in restaurants.
Bartending is also a facet of the restaurant experience that could be automated at some point. Robot bartenders are already being experimented with, as different drink recipes can be learned by bots to make drinks quickly and precisely. Whether or not that form of automation in the restaurant setting expands remains to be seen, but a robot bartender could certainly cut down on the amount of awkward conversation at the bar.
Tasks like washing dishes and busing tables are also things that could one way be handled by automated machines as well, which would add yet another dimension to this thought exercise. There, of course, would be no way to replace actual people in the process of running a restaurant and people would still be needed for quality control. But the thought of more automated restaurant experience is something that is certainly interesting in the futuristic world that is developing.
