Operating fully automated kitchens can help your restaurant grow.
You may have heard of fully automated kitchens, but since they’re relatively new, you might not know exactly what they are.
An automated kitchen uses robots to do the cooking for you. It can free up labor hours and help you manage your restaurant more efficiently. In this article, we look at the seven benefits to operating a fully automated kitchen in your restaurant.
#1: Better Customer Service
Perhaps the most important benefit of fully automated kitchens are their ability to completely overhaul your customer service.
An automated kitchen standardizes your procedures and speeds up your kitchen which ultimately helps you provide a better overall customer experience.
When you provide better customer service, you retain more customers, you attract new diners, and you make more money.
An automated kitchen frees up your staff because the “equipment” cooks the food. Your staff can help operate the machines and supervise to ensure everything is top of the line.
What’s more, automation standardizes each plate. This makes your customers happier because their favorite menu item is prepared exactly the same every single time.
#2: Money Savings
Some of your most expensive budget items are labor costs and training. Other large expenses include electricity and waste.
When you have a fully automated kitchen, you reduce many of the big line items.
An automated kitchen means you don’t have to hire skilled labor. For example, you don’t need a specialty food cook. Anyone can operate your automated kitchen. You also don’t need to spend money on training costs to get your employees up to speed on each of your menu items.
Don’t let the cost of a robot keep you hesitant. When you purchase your automated kitchen robot, you only pay for it one time.
You’ll spend less money on your automated kitchen than you would hiring and training staff and doing it over again with the high turnover in the restaurant industry.
It doesn’t cost anything to run a robot. It doesn’t take a weekly salary. Robots are also usually mistake-free, so you avoid mistake-associated costs.
Do consider there are some implementation costs, so make sure you can afford the initial investment.
#3: Time Savings
If you have at least one automated robot in your kitchen, you’ll save time. Add another one, and you’ll experience an amazing amount of time savings when it comes to prep time and cooking time.
You can program your automated kitchen to work quickly. It also is quite precise, so you save time on human error.
Your team members can focus on taking care of your customers and meeting their needs. Again, these time savings will enhance your customer service.
Whether your restaurant is fast cuisine, quick service, or fine exquisite dining, a robot can provide you an automated kitchen that moves quicker than normal.
A robot makes your menu items quickly. Their only job is to create your dishes and prepare them in a timely fashion. People are often slow and get distracted. Your robot won’t be either of these things.
What’s more, your robots don’t get tired like humans do. Everything moves quicker in an automated kitchen.
#4: More Reliable Kitchens
An automated kitchen is a more reliable kitchen. How?
Imagine the customer who comes in and enjoys their dish so much they come back two weeks later to enjoy the same dish. Have you ever heard that customer say the dish wasn’t as good the second time around? Or maybe they said it was better?
With an automated kitchen, your dish will taste and look exactly the same time after time. Your reliable kitchen is consistent, and thus your menu items are consistent.
Your robot measures each ingredient precisely. It prepares those ingredients the same way each time a dish is ordered.
The automated kitchen never throws in a “little bit extra.” It also never scrimps on a dish. It’s simply consistent and reliable.
#5: Safer Kitchens
How often are your chefs and kitchen staff hurt? Accidents will happen and may include burns, falls, knife cuts, and more.
If you add a fully automated kitchen robot, you won’t have any kitchen accidents. They will be a thing of the past.
Your robot can operate at any time safely. It won’t ever hurt itself. Your robot helps you increase restaurant safety and avoid any hazardous situations.
#6: Cleaner Kitchens
With an automated kitchen, you can supercharge your cleanliness. Ditch the hairnets. There’s no need for long sleeves, aprons, short hair, or beard covers.
Your robot is resistant to disease and sickness. It doesn’t transmit germs to anyone or anything.
What’s more, your robot keeps a sanitized kitchen. You will never have a cleaner kitchen than when it’s automated. It’s impossible to have a sanitized kitchen at all times with human staff. It’s not impossible with an automated kitchen.
#7: Theft Free Kitchens
While no restaurant is ever completely theft free, you can reduce your loss risk considerably with an automated kitchen.
Without many people in your kitchen, no one is grabbing or stealing food, and no one is sneaking some to take home with them.
There are no human temptations when you include an automated robot in your kitchen. You eliminate human emotions, and you take away the risk of food loss.
Final Thoughts on Fully Automated Kitchens
The global cooking robotics market is expected to be worth $322 million by 2028. Automation is growing, and it’s a trend to take a look at.
You know the kitchen is the pulse of your restaurant. Your menu is what keeps your customers coming back again and again. Your kitchen sets the tone for your speed of service, and that is also vital to your success.
Consider fully automated kitchens to help improve your restaurant’s safety, efficiency, and cleanliness. It can help you improve speed in your restaurant as well as in your take-out and delivery services.
