Understanding the Robotic Restaurant Experience: A Multiple Case Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the robotic restaurant experience of travellers around the world and understand the components of robotic restaurant experience. Following this aim, travellers who had experienced a robotic restaurant were purposefully selected as a sample group for the study. Since the robotic restaurants are limited around the world, multiple case study method has been chosen to gather richer data. A user-generated content technique which is a form of qualitative case study method has been benefited. The data of this study were gathered between 18-29 November 2019 from travellers’ reviews (n=587) describing experiences they had between February 2013-November 2019. The results reveal a model of components of robotic restaurant experience that include seven main themes: attraction for kids, robotic system, service quality, memorable experience, ambience related attributes, food related attributes (economic value and gastronomic aspects), and deficiencies (in robotic system, in service quality, in ambience related attributes and in food related attributes). This paper is first to investigate the robotic restaurant experience of travellers around the world. Moreover, it contributes to the research on restaurant experience and offers a model of components of the robotic restaurant experience.

Human–robot interactions in the restaurant setting: the role of social cognition, psychological ownership and anthropomorphism

“…Particularly, older customers, and younger customers who interact with robots at cheaper restaurants, are more likely to show high levels of positive attitudes and revisiting intentions. Therefore, these results are consistent with studies that find that gender (Sungjun et al, 2022), age (Ruiz-Equihua et al, 2021), and past experience (Seyitoğlu and Ivanov, 2022) influence customer responses to technology in the hospitality industry. Similarly, the results support literature indicating that technology acceptance is contextual (de Kervenoael et al, 2020).…”

“…The research hypotheses -consistent with a symmetric modelling approach -are shown in Figure 1a. Four control variables that could influence reactions to technology are considered: age (Ruiz-Equihua et al, 2021), gender (Sungjun et al, 2022), past experience with robot waiters (Seyitoğlu and Ivanov, 2022), and restaurant setting (de Kervenoael et al, 2020).…”

Effects of robot restaurants’ food quality, service quality and high-tech atmosphere perception on customers’ behavioral intentions

“…For example, several studies have investigated diners’ attitude toward the use of robot technology in restaurants (Zemke et al , 2020; Fuste-Forne, 2021). Several studies have investigated consumer experiences with regard to robot restaurants (Seyitoğlu and Ivanov, 2020; Qiu et al , 2020). Several studies have compared consumer perceptions of robot and human services (Belanche et al , 2020; Byrd et al , 2021; Leung and Wen, 2020).…”

“…Though these three pillars have been mainly used to predict onsite or post-consumption behavior, this study uses them as the antecedents of behavioral intention before purchase for two reasons: first, the expectation confirmation theory suggests that pre-purchase expectations regarding product attributes initially provide the basis for the formation of pre-purchase attitude and subsequently serve as reference points for post-purchase evaluations (Oliver, 1980). Seyitoğlu and Ivanov (2020) report that food-, service quality- and atmosphere-related attributes are important components of robot restaurant experience. As the evaluation factors of pre-purchase and post-consumption have consistency, customers may also value the three pillars before purchase.…”

Tourists' Perceptions Toward Using Artificial Intelligence Services in Tourism and Hospitality

“…Food is an important element of a traveller's experience; eating in different restaurants gives the customer the chance to discover different cultures and taste various types of food from many countries around the world. Therefore, restaurants can provide customers with authentic, unique, enjoyable and unforgettable experiences (Vu et al, 2019;Seyitoğlu and Ivanov, 2020).…”