Customers Not Sold on Restaurant Tech

As restaurants tap technology to weather their labor challenges, PYMNTS Intelligence suggests that consumers may be growing frustrated with the depersonalization of the experience.

By the Numbers

The vast majority of consumers do not believe that technology has a positive impact on their dining experiences. A PYMNTS Intelligence survey of more than 2,200 U.S. consumers last year revealed that only 37% agree that more technology inside of restaurants means better customer service.

The Data in Context

Restaurants, for their part, are becoming dependent on technology to manage ongoing labor challenges.

“There are still [restaurants] that are shutting down, not doing the full day that they would normally do and closing some nights so they don’t overwork the team — so maybe close a Monday, Tuesday night, but work people longer hours Friday or Saturday,” Andrew Robbins, then CEO of Paytronix (now chairman), told PYMNTS in an interview. “It’s still a real problem.”

As such, many operators are turning to automated technologies. Data cited in the PYMNTS report “Inflation Puts Technology on the Menu for Restaurants,” the June edition of the “B2B and Digital Payments Tracker®,” created in collaboration with American Express, reveals that 76% of restaurants are already using automation in at least three areas of operations.

While front-of-house automation can affect customers’ experiences, back-of-house technology can go a long way towards boosting efficiency.

“We see opportunities for more automation in food prep and dish washing,” Chipotle Chief Customer and Technology Officer Curt Garner told PYMNTS in an interview. “These are areas that consistently come up in conversations with crew members. … We see potential in leveraging AI [artificial intelligence] to help our managers be more precise in the amount of food they’re prepping for their restaurants. Anything we can do to help our teams more easily recover from a strong sales day is an area we’re prioritizing.”