Robert Ancill is one of the most well known restaurant futures forecaster – he predicted the fall of casual dining and demise of brands like TGI Fridays, and he also predicted trends in vegan food, non alcoholic bar drinks, and now he is predicting the role of AI and robots in the restaurant industry
The restaurant industry is on the brink of a dramatic transformation; one that will be defined not by culinary trends or design aesthetics, but by robotics, artificial intelligence, and smart infrastructure. As labor costs continue to rise and customer expectations for efficiency continuously increase, restaurant owners and operators are turning toward automation and intelligent systems to redefine their operational models.
In the near future, restaurants will be increasingly shaped by robotic kitchens, android-like service staff, and integrated smart utilities. These innovations promise not only to enhance the customer experience but to fundamentally change the economics of restaurant ownership and management. By reducing human labor by 25 to 30%, restaurants will see a shift in financial strategy: higher upfront investment in technology and maintenance, balanced by significantly lower ongoing labor costs.
