The advancement of both industrial robots used for manufacturing and service robots designed to assist humans in everyday jobs is growing exponentially. Some are concerned; the automization of everyday jobs could change the very fabric of society as we know it. But many are pleased because service robots, in particular, are designed to perform those tedious, risky or repetitive tasks efficiently and safely, leaving human hands free for more important stuff.
Anyway, with faces proudly poking future forward, we can’t wait to taste our first meal prepared by machine. Maybe we already have. You can too, here; our 5 IDEAL restaurants around the world using robots.
HAIDILAO, BEIJING, CHINA
We had to begin here in China, which is rolling out robotic restaurants like there is no tomorrow for mankind. With global warming, there probably isn’t. Anyway, we digress; Haidilao is one of China’s top hotpot chains and has 466 restaurants all over the world, with over 100 in the Chinese mainland. In 2018, the group opened the world’s first ‘smart hotpot restaurant’ in Beijing. No humans are involved in the food preparation, with robots running the kitchen. Alongside human waiters, humanoid robots deliver the food and fetch used trays. Service!
CREATOR, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
What came first, the genetically modified chicken or the robotic egg? Anyway, owing to its position next to Silicon Valley (or is it the other way round?), San Francisco is home to tech companies galore. It’s also a city that loves its food so it’s only natural – ahem – that this tech-centric city has seen a boom in automated restaurants in recent years.
Arguably the most well known is Creator, where robots have been flipping burgers since mid-2018. Indeed, the restaurant is the world’s first robot-made burger restaurant. There’s still a human element to their burgers; Creator is attracting customers by teaming up with some of the top chefs in the Bay Area and beyond to create new combinations using their robots. If you’re looking to keep your restaurant relevant, harnessing the potential of robotics could be the way to go.
X FUTURE RESTAURANT, TIIANJIAN, CHINA
From ordering your food to cooking, serving and even taking the bill, this robo-restaurant uses machines in every step of the dining experience. And if that wasn’t enough tech for you, there’s even interactive VR games to keep punters entertained between bites.
Li Xiaokui, director of operations at X Future Restaurant, told People’s Daily Online, “As the cooking process is preset and controlled by a computer system, the flavour and quality of dishes can be guaranteed”. With so many variables at work, from the freshness of produce to deviations in seasoning needs, we’re yet to be convinced. That said, X Future is a place which could change our minds.
THE TEA TERRACE, LONDON
The Tea Terrace in London prides itself as being the first restaurant in the UK and Europe to hire a robotic waitress. The robot is named Theresa, in a nod to the former prime minister’s nickname ‘The Maybot’. Yeah, we couldn’t imagine anything worse either.
Anyway, Theresa represents the 6th generation of robotic waitresses which were launched in Japan during the last decade. Not only does she deliver food and drinks to the tables, but she also speaks to the customers, telling them what she is serving. They’ve even programmed her to say ‘’breakfast means breakfast’’, poking fun at her repeated Brexit means Brexit statement. Christ.
SPYCE, BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS
With creative direction from celebrity chef and holder of two Michelin stars, Daniel Boulud, Spyce is one of the newest robot restaurants in the world, opening in May 2018. Billed as trading at the ‘intersection between technology and hospitality’, Spyce was conceived to help athletes eat consistent, nutritious food for less, with prices significantly lower because of the costs saved on labour. With a new menu in the works, we can’t wait to see what the Spyce team do next.