By Orit Naomi, RTN staff writer - 7.19.2025
In a bustling buffet restaurant in Seoul, a sleek, waist-high robot glides silently between tables, stopping to place trays of food with mechanical precision. Diners glance up with amusement, and in some cases, unease. One visitor films the moment and posts it to TikTok, where it racks up thousands of views in a matter of hours. Reactions range from admiration to discomfort. The moment encapsulates what roboticists call the “uncanny valley,” a phenomenon where machines appear almost human but not quite, creating a sense of cognitive dissonance.
This is no longer a rare scene. Restaurants across the globe are adopting robotics in new and increasingly visible ways, from server bots and kitchen cobots to full-fledged humanoid hosts. While the idea of robot workers once seemed like science fiction, the reality today is far more grounded. Many of these machines are not only functioning in real restaurants but solving real problems.
Persistent labor shortages have made automation more than an experimental curiosity. In 2024, nearly half of U.S. restaurant operators reported plans to increase automation to fill staffing gaps. A majority of those operators emphasized that they viewed technology not as a replacement for their teams, but as a way to support overburdened staff and improve operational efficiency. This shift is happening across all segments—from quick-service chains to upscale independents.
One of the clearest examples is Bear Robotics, a Silicon Valley-based company, and now a subsidiary of LG Electronics, whose Servi robot is now in use in thousands of restaurants around the world. These sleek, semi-autonomous units are designed to carry trays of food and drinks from the kitchen to tables, and to clear dishes afterward. They don’t try to speak, gesture, or mimic human interaction. Instead, they excel at what they’re built to do, which is freeing up servers to focus on higher-touch guest engagement. Chains like Chili’s and Denny’s have piloted Servi robots in high-volume locations, and early reports suggest a measurable increase in service speed and staff satisfaction.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has taken a more back-of-house approach. At its innovation hub in Irvine, California, the company is testing a proprietary robotic system called Autocado. Developed in partnership with tech startup Vebu, the machine automates avocado preparation—cutting, coring, peeling, and scooping in seconds. A task that once consumed up to 50 minutes of labor each day now takes less than half that time, reducing prep workload and waste. At another test location in Southern California, Chipotle has also installed an “augmented makeline” that automates bowl and salad assembly, allowing human staff to focus on tacos and burritos.
Miso Robotics, another player in this space, has deployed its Flippy robotic fry station in more than 20 White Castle and Jack in the Box locations. Flippy can monitor oil temperatures, flip patties or chicken, and time each batch with precision. Built for speed and consistency, it has become the poster child for kitchen automation. Its newer cousin, Flippy 2, expands those capabilities to multitasking across multiple fry stations, which is an essential asset for high-volume QSR environments.
Joining Flippy on the line is Neo, a multi-talented robot developed by Hyphen that can prepare customizable meals at lightning speed, accurately dispensing ingredients and assembling dishes without a single spill. Neo’s modular design allows it to handle diverse menus, from grain bowls to noodles, with human-level accuracy but unmatched efficiency. Sweetgreen is among the first brands to pilot the technology in select markets.
Meanwhile, Optimus, developed by Tesla, is making headlines not just for its humanoid design but for its potential application in foodservice. In early demonstrations, Optimus was shown sorting ingredients, pouring drinks, and even handling basic bartending tasks. Though still in early development, Optimus represents the ambition of integrating robotics into every layer of hospitality, including the showmanship traditionally reserved for human servers and mixologists.
Yet not every attempt at robotic integration has gone smoothly. In Fort Worth, Texas, McDonald’s launched a pilot location in late 2022 designed to operate with minimal human staff and heavily rely on automation—including robotic order taking and delivery. While the fully automated format drew significant attention, it quickly encountered operational issues and mixed customer reactions. Guests were confused by the lack of human interaction and frustrated when machines failed to respond to nuanced requests. The concept was quietly shelved within weeks. According to an internal review, “It looked impressive, but it couldn’t keep up.”
Experts in human-robot interaction point out that the most successful applications of robotics in hospitality tend to focus on functional utility rather than anthropomorphic design. People are generally more comfortable with machines that clearly look and behave like machines. In restaurants, this means robotic arms flipping burgers, bots delivering trays, and automation systems scheduling back-of-house tasks—not humanoid hosts trying to make small talk.
That distinction between humanoid and non-humanoid robots is gaining importance. Humanoid robots like Optimus are built to mimic human form and motion, often with gestures or speech. Non-humanoid robots like Servi, Flippy and Neo prioritize function over form. Restaurants have found non-humanoid bots to be more practical, reliable, and less likely to trigger social discomfort. Tele-operated android servers in Tokyo and tour-guiding robots in hotels often capture headlines, but diners are more consistently satisfied with simple tray bots and kitchen cobots that work quietly and efficiently.
Even so, some high-end concepts continue to push boundaries. A Michelin-starred restaurant in Dubai is reportedly testing an AI-enhanced sommelier bot that can recommend and retrieve wine pairings based on guest profiles. In Tokyo, a café employs remote-controlled humanoid robots that are operated in real time by disabled workers from home—an innovation that has been praised for both its technical and social impact. In these environments, where the purpose of the robot is partly experiential, the humanoid form may enhance the brand narrative and guest curiosity.
Still, in most cases, robots that quietly and consistently execute routine tasks like peeling avocados, delivering orders or clearing tables provide the greatest ROI. These systems don’t aim to impress with personality. They aim to reduce errors, lower labor costs, and increase throughput. Their impact is measurable and their reliability is improving with each hardware and software upgrade.
As adoption grows, a broader cultural shift is underway. Operators are recognizing that automation, thoughtfully applied, doesn’t dilute hospitality. It can enhance it. By relieving staff of repetitive or physically taxing duties, robots allow human workers to focus on the emotional intelligence and real-time problem-solving that machines still cannot replicate.
The restaurants of the future may not be staffed by robots that look like us, but they will almost certainly include robots that work alongside us. The winners in this new era of foodservice will be the ones that deploy automation not for spectacle, but for substance to make service faster, more consistent and ultimately more human.
