Robots have been dominating the National Restaurant Association Show’s tech pavilion and equipment booths for years, and in 2022, we saw everything from robot dogs that can carry your delivery order up the stairs for you, to several different versions of the robot server that can carry trays of drinks and appetizers. For the most part, AI and automation at the 2022 National Restaurant Association show was focused on robots as labor-saving tools, as that was the number one concern of restaurants coming out of the pandemic.
But this year, we predict that much of the newest technology at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago next week will be less flashy and more software-focused as data-based digital technology rises in prominence. Of course, automation will still be fully on display as technology vendors tout all-in-one automated solutions for operators, from kitchens of the future to AI-based drive-thru lanes.
