Although the bots can take food to the


tables, Gibbons says the company still wants to ensure there is the human touch in its restaurants. The one element of direct interac- tion at present is that they can be programmed to say ‘happy birthday’ to guests.


LABOUR SAVINGS The reduction in the cost of robots as more manufacturers come into the market and the ongoing issue of staff wages along with recruitment problems will likely feed into more robots being deployed across the hospi- tality industry, according to Gibbons. Stefano Bensi, general manager for EMEA


at Softbank Robotics – which has been short- listed in the Robotics & Automation Awards for its work with Compass Group – agrees and highlights that robotic deployments are exploding in Asia, with Pudu Robotics, Kee- non and Bear Robotics among the preferred solutions for what he calls “tray management”, or the carrying of plates. Robots are also being used to deliver room service orders in hotels. “There is some caution in Europe and the US


about proving it is more than a fad, but in Asia they have got past this and hospitality clients are happy because turnaround times of tables are down and ticket prices are up,” says Bensi. Interestingly, one of the most challenging


Big Table Group, which has been working with Softbank Robotics to introduce robots into a number of its Bella Italia and Las Iguanas restaurants within Center Parcs sites. They sup- port team members with everyday tasks such as delivering food and drinks to tables and return- ing used dishes to the kitchen, allowing team members to spend more time interacting with guests and delivering an optimum experience. Greg Gibbons, central operations director at


the Big Table Group, says the value of the bots has become clear: “They enable the team to be more productive. A table of eight can involve a server making three trips to and from the kitchen, whereas it can be only one trip with a bot. There is less strain on the team and they can concentrate on selling that extra drink or dessert,” he explains.


www.thecaterer.com


“A table of eight can involve a server making three trips to and from the kitchen, whereas it can be only


one trip with a bot” Greg Gibbons, Big Table Group


aspects of robot deployments is the training of staff to operate in a different way. “Once staff get into the habit of letting robots do the work, they are ready to service their tables better by, say, selling another glass of wine,” he says. This very much points to a hybrid approach


in the way robots are used in hospitality, which is also reflected in the way QR codes are being integrated in the service proposition at BTG restaurants. Their use seriously dipped post- pandemic, but improved technology now allows them to be used alongside the human touch. “We’ve seen an increase in customer hybrid ordering, with guests wanting more control over how they place their order. QR codes could be scanned to see a menu – or the diner can use the paper menu – and can still choose to use a server. Once an order has been placed,


Technology Prospectus 2024 | 43


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SHUTTERSTOCK/LIN XIU XIU


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