That hospitality owners are struggling to find staff has long been known. ABN AMRO even predicts in a new report that the hospitality industry will have to start deploying robots to prevent things from going wrong.
In the report, ABN AMRO explains that the hospitality industry is struggling due to several reasons. In particular, the bank thinks that hospitality chains will take over our streets because their size allows them to better meet consumers' needs. Moreover, larger hospitality businesses also have more room to make investments and attract staff.
Robotisation
Another development that is definitely coming, according to ABN AMRO, is the entry of robots on the restaurant floor. "In addition to investments in more professional staff management, investments in robotisation will eventually be needed to continue to grow. After all: due to the shortage of staff, sooner or later the hospitality industry will run into a wall. Already, some restaurants have to close their doors due to lack of staff. For 2019 and 2020, we expect staff shortages to put a firm brake on further growth in the sector," the report reads. "Robotisation and automation can keep the path to growth open, provided a company has enough size to make the necessary investments. According to research by consultants McKinsey, 73% of the industry's work has the potential for automation because it involves 'predictable' activities or machine operation."
In the report, the bank also cites some examples of (international) restaurants that are already making full use of robots. "Internationally, hybrid companies are emerging where staff and technology are joining forces. This is happening, for example, at California-based Zume Pizza, where dough robots stretch the dough. In China's Hunan province, a restaurant opened in 2018 with three robots and two humans, preparing local dishes together. Normally, eight to 10 employees are needed for a restaurant of this size, and the just-opened burger restaurant Creator in San Francisco seems even more advanced. A robot with 350 sensors there grates the cheese, adds sauces, grills the meat and cuts the tomatoes. Such an advanced robot could also be a godsend for Dutch catering companies to grow further. Robotisation also leads to lower costs. Creator claims that burgers for their guests are three times cheaper thanks to the robot."
For now, it still seems that robots are too costly an investment for many restaurants, including chains. As an option to still automate as much as possible and cope with staff shortages, ABN AMRO mentions so-called order kiosks in the fast-food industry. On these large tablet-shaped screens, a guest composes his or her meal and checks out.
Serving robot
Business magazine Forbes also wrote last year about the rise of the 'restaurant robot'. In doing so, it cited a study claiming that about 87 per cent of the work of kitchen staff could be automated, and 77 per cent of wait staff. Even bringing food to the table could eventually be done by robots. US company Bear Robotics, for instance, has already developed a robot that drives orders from table to table. Marble even created a robot that delivers pizza to your home. The Tipsy Robot appeared in the news back in 2017. These flexible robotic arms are capable of pouring drinks and mixing cocktails just like a bartender.
Work is also under way in the Netherlands to develop robots that can navigate a restaurant. "What you see now at Eindhoven University of Technology, for example, are robots that navigate themselves in a room," founder of Smart Robotics Mark Menting said in an interview with Brainport last year. "Those make a map of their surroundings and can thus navigate in 3D. There are scanners on the ground, allowing them to see where a table leg is, for example. The only thing a robot cannot do yet is understand that above a table leg there is also a tabletop, also something they can bump into."
Source: ABN AMRO/Forbes
Photo: Bear Cosmetics
