APPLICATION OF ROBOTICS IN RESTAURANTS: A COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

In recent years, the rapid development of robotics and artificial intelligence has begun to reshape service-oriented industries, with the restaurant sector standing out as one of the most visibly affected domains within hospitality. This paper undertakes a detailed secondary review of existing academic and industry literature to explore how robotics is being applied in restaurant environments. Particular attention is given to operational efficiency, customer experience, workforce implications, and patterns of technology adoption.

Drawing from peer-reviewed journal articles, industry publications, and scholarly databases published between 2020 and 2025, the study brings together dispersed insights to present a consolidated understanding of current developments. The review suggests that robotic systems contribute significantly to improvements in service speed, accuracy, and cost management, while also enabling contactless service delivery—an aspect that gained prominence during the COVID-19 period. At the same time, several constraints remain evident, including high capital investment, limited emotional intelligence of machines, and differing levels of customer acceptance across contexts.

Rather than positioning robotics as a replacement for human labor, the findings consistently point toward the value of collaborative models where human employees and robotic systems operate together. By integrating and critically examining existing research, this study contributes to the academic discourse and outlines directions for future investigation, particularly in the areas of emotionally responsive robotics and culturally sensitive service design.