[Initial Insight] The Future of Serving Robots, The Future of Restaurants

Eating food served by robots in restaurants is no longer an unfamiliar sight. When serving robots were first introduced in Korea four years ago, the presence of robots carrying food was unusual. But now, the effort of robots placing food on tables has become natural. This is understandable, as the distribution speed of serving robots this year is remarkable. As of last year, there were about 5,000 serving robots nationwide, and this year, the number is expected to exceed 10,000.

However, this industry cannot be expected to grow indefinitely. Several questions follow. How will serving robots develop, and are serving robots truly the future of restaurants? To answer these questions, it is necessary to look into the background of the spread of serving robots so far. Starting from about 50 units in 2019, the number of distributed robots has already increased more than 100 times, largely influenced by the labor cost burden and labor shortage faced by self-employed business owners. With the minimum wage approaching 10,000 won, the labor cost burden is increasing, but it is difficult to find people to work in restaurants due to high work intensity and other factors. In the second half of last year, the labor shortage rate in the accommodation and food service industry was 5.3%. Considering that the average labor shortage rate across all industries is 3.4%, the labor shortage is severe.

The industry sees the introduction of serving robots as a solution to this problem. For example, in a restaurant that employs two part-time workers working five days a week, the labor cost per person, including the four major insurances, exceeds 2 million won. If a serving robot rented for 300,000 won per month is introduced and only one person is employed to operate it, labor costs can be saved by 1.7 million won. This results in a labor cost reduction effect of over 40%.

This background gives an idea of the future of serving robots. Although robots are a collection of advanced technologies, serving robots are structured in a way that makes it difficult to apply sophisticated technologies that increase costs. Attaching a 'robot arm' to a serving robot to place food directly on tables is technically possible and is being researched and developed, but if this raises costs, self-employed business owners will have less reason to adopt robots. Developers at serving robot companies are focused on simplifying and optimizing technology to lower prices. This is as challenging as developing new technologies.

This also means that while serving robots are changing many restaurants today, they cannot be the future for all restaurants. Serving robots cannot move if there are stairs and have limitations in serving outdoor tables. If technology is advanced to overcome these practical constraints, costs will soar, making it difficult for restaurants to adopt them. The industry estimates there are about 700,000 restaurants nationwide, and only 10% of them, about 70,000, are expected to adopt serving robots. Instead, the industry is focusing on expanding the use of serving robots to other venues beyond restaurants. Recently, they have been introduced in various spaces such as screen golf centers, billiard halls, PC rooms, and smart factories.

This serving robot market situation serves as a barometer to look into the future relationship between humans and robots coexisting. Serving robots can be one way to solve labor shortages and help improve store operation efficiency. However, they cannot completely replace humans. A statement from a CEO of a serving robot company met during reporting is meaningful. He said, "The most important thing is to make robots collaborate naturally with humans."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.