Before we get into this week’s biggest news stories, we want to make sure you didn’t miss Thursday’s dispatch from the National Restaurant Association Show. Darian Ahler, who has years of restaurant automation experience under his belt, went to Chicago to find the latest and greatest trends for our fast-changing industry. Be sure to read it (and keep your eyes peeled for part three of his series on the rise and fall of food robotics.)
Kiosks Everywhere!
Yelp has released its 2024 State of the Industry report, showing a restaurant industry gripped by labor concerns. From QSRs to fine dining, automated kiosks and self-checkout were top of mind for restaurateurs, who are looking for solutions to lower costs. Diners are worried about prices too, with a marked increase in the number of consumers noting something about tipping or gratuity charges.
A Win & A Loss for Walmart
Walmart continues to make big moves in the automation space, with some going better than others. On the positive side, it’s deepening its integration with drone delivery player DroneUp — which counts the Bentonville retailer as an investor — as delivery via drone will now be directly available in the Walmart app. Previously, customers had to use a separate website to opt in to the drone service in applicable markets. Less happily for the big box retailer, the company is paying out a $45M settlement due to allegations that its self-checkout systems overcharged customers.
Kernel Adds Night Shift
Kernel, the Steve Ells-helmed robo-restaurant that’s taking Manhattan by storm, wants more than just your lunch money. The company recently announced extended hours, all the way to 8:30 PM, as it looks to tap into dinnertime diners. The menu looks unchanged, so we hope you’re jonesing for an evening bean burger…
RobotLab Launches Two Automated Systems
RobotLab has two new offerings intended for automated restaurants. Robot on Call is a specialized smartwatch that allows servers and bussers to remotely call robots to any destination in a restaurant. ServeSwift is an add-on product that gives diners the ability to assign robots to their table via a QR code for simplified in-restaurant routing and delivery.
In Other News
Joby buys Xwing to up autonomous drone tech. Dean Drako buys Cobalt Robotics. Serve Robotics nominates David Goldberg to its Board of Directors. Clifton’s Cafeteria, legendary LA restaurant replete with ancient animatronics, set to reopen. URF to host workshops on PMR safety.