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This study aims to examine the impact of AI service robots on restaurant customers' engagement and acceptance and the moderating role of robot anthropomorphism on the relationship between AI robot service quality and customer engagement.

Using a three-wave time-lagged design, 416 customers of service robots-enabled restaurants participated in the study. Mplus was used to examine the hypotheses.

The results confirmed that customers' perception regarding automation, personalization, efficiency and precision of robot service quality determine customer engagement, which further influences customer acceptance of AI service robots. Additionally, robot anthropomorphism moderates the relationships between AI robot service quality in terms of automation, personalization, efficiency and precision and customer engagement. This study confirms that AI service robots-customer engagement contributes to better acceptance of AI service robots.

The proposed framework can be used as a diagnostic tool to enhance customer acceptance of AI service robots in restaurant settings. This research provides guidelines to restaurant owners to employ AI service robots in front-line services that provide better quality, ultimately enhancing customer engagement and acceptance.

This study fills the gap in the literature by investigating the influence of AI robot service quality on customer engagement and customer acceptance with the moderating effect of robot anthropomorphism in an emerging market context.

Using cognitive appraisal theory, this study aims to propose and test an integrated framework – comprising robotic service quality, robotic service authenticity, customer existential authenticity and customer revisit intention – on diners with experience using robotic technology in restaurants. The moderating role of robotic appearance is in the hypothesised relationship.

Data was gathered through a Web-based survey delivered to 428 diners who had experience using robotic services in restaurants in China. The hypotheses were analysed using a structural equation model and multi-group analysis was used to analyse the moderating effect.

The findings indicate that functional service quality positively influences robotic service authenticity and existential authenticity. However, technical service quality only affects existential authenticity, which leads to revisit intention. Robotic appearance moderated the relationship between functional service quality and service authenticity.

Restaurateurs should enhance robotic service authenticity, existential authenticity and revisit intention by improving robotic technical service collaborating with robot manufacturers and operators.

Focusing on cognitive appraisal theory, the findings serve as a starting point for investigating robotic service quality and authenticity in robotic service settings theoretically and empirically.

This paper aims to explore theme park visitors’ attitudes toward interacting with robots and investigated the qualities and functions of robotic servers and their influence on customers’ loyalty. A structural equation modeling approach was used to identify the complex relationships among variables in the entire network.

An online survey randomly assigned respondents to four different robotic server scenarios with robots that look like humans, animals, cartoon characters and anime features. The influence of robot types was investigated by manipulating robot type with four different pictures; however, the data were analyzed with a structural equation modeling model to identify the complex relationships rather than one-way analysis of variance to identify influences of robot types on different variables in separate analyzes.

The data collected from the 385 experienced theme park visitors revealed that perception of robots with human orientation and safety qualities had the strongest effect on the perceived robotic functionality, while emotions and co-creation qualities hardly had any effect on the perceived functionality, which included utilitarian rather than experiential functions such as excitement. Human orientation qualities, regardless of the specific robotic design, had a significant impact on perceived robotic functionality. The study also revealed a strong positive influence of perceived robotic functionality on customer loyalty.

The debate of whether or not to introduce and blend the growing robotic technology into the theme park experience is in its infancy. The study contributes to the theory of how robotics qualities and functions can augment customer loyalty.

Robot chefs and robot waiters have emerged in the restaurant industry. Based on the curiosity theory and the stimulus–organism–response paradigm, this study aims to understand the influence of robot restaurant attributes on customer behavioral intention before purchase.

Based on research data from 289 respondents comprising undergraduates, postgraduates and non-students in China, the theoretical model is tested via the partial least squares technique.

Food quality perception directly affects regular patronage intention, but it has no significant influence on experience intention. Service quality perception and high-tech atmosphere perception positively affect experience intention and regular patronage intention through the mediator of interest in robot restaurants.

Different from previous studies focusing on human employee restaurants, this study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, is the first to systematically investigate the influence of robot restaurant attributes on customer behavioral intention, and it finds that these attributes have their own uniqueness vis-à-vis influencing customer behavioral intention.

机器人厨师和机器人服务员已经出现在餐饮业。基于好奇心理论和刺激-有机体-反应模型, 本研究旨在了解机器人餐厅属性对顾客购买前行为意向的影响。

基于来自中国289名本科生、研究生和非学生的研究数据, 通过偏最小二乘法对理论模型进行了检验。

食品质量感知直接影响常客意愿, 但对体验意愿没有显着影响。服务质量感知和高科技氛围感知通过对机器人餐厅的兴趣作为中介变量正向影响体验意愿和常客意愿。

与以往专注于人类员工餐厅的研究不同, 本研究首次系统地研究了机器人餐厅属性对顾客行为意图的影响, 并发现这些属性在影响顾客行为意图方面具有其独特性。

机器人餐厅, 体验意向, 惠顾意向, 食物品质, 服务质量, 氛围

研究型论文

Off-premise restaurant service has a new addition – food delivery robots. This new technology and off-premise service, in general, has received little research attention, despite continued year-over-year sales growth for both carry-out and delivery. Therefore, this study aims to analyze off-premise service modes, including food delivery robots, for service quality gaps between consumer expectations and actual performance and among the various modes.

Performance of three off-premise restaurant service modes (robot-delivery, human-delivery and carry-out) were evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. Consumer expectations were ascertained about food- and service-related performance factors using a survey, and a field observation study was conducted to obtain actual performance data for these factors. Findings from both approaches were compared to identify gaps and differences.

For food-related performance, consumers reported lower expectations for food safety and food quality from robot- and human-delivered food; however, no differences were observed among the three modes in the field study. Consumers also expected lower service-related performance from robot-delivery for service efficiency and ease of use (than human-delivery and carry-out) and monetary value (than carry-out). Consumers deemed robots the most sustainable and human-delivery the most convenient compared to other modes – however, not all service-related expectations aligned with actual performances.

This study was the first to comparatively examine off-premise restaurant service. Identification of a missing link in service gap analysis was among the theoretical contributions of this study. Managerially, this study provides previously unavailable insights into opportunities for improvement for off-premise service and use of delivery robots.

Based on rapid improvements in telecommunications and wireless networks with extensive educational contents, numerous studies have been conducted to improve our educational success/attainment/environment. With this trend, the purpose of this paper is to investigate users’ perceptions of teaching assistant (TA) robots and the possible motivations that impact the users’ intention to use (IU) the robots.

In light of the rapid development of and attempts at understanding interactions with social robots, including TA robots, this study uses structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis.

The results indicated that perceived usefulness was the most crucial factor determining the users’ IU for TA robots. In addition, the relationships of the original technology acceptance model were confirmed. The study findings demonstrated the crucial importance of perceived enjoyment and service quality.

Although the role of TA robots has gained user attention, few investigations have been conducted to explain how IU is formed. The current study can thus act as the foundation for exploring the acceptance process in the context of TA robots.

Within the scope of the research, articles about service robots were examined by the systematic review method.

The research aims to evaluate the articles on service robots, an artificial intelligence (AI) application in restaurant businesses, using a systematic review method. In systematic reviews, the data obtained as a result of scanning databases to find an answer to a research question are synthesized and reported. The criterion sampling technique, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used for the sample of the research. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied within the scope of screening.

The articles on service robots were carried out between 2018 and 2023. In terms of research methods, most of the articles are quantitative, while there are studies on mixed and qualitative methods. In studies, data were generally collected by survey technique. The keywords of the studies on service robots are examined; the most commonly used words were service robot and AI, technology, restaurant, satisfaction, revisit intention, consumer behavior, intention, preference, hospitality and foods. The objectives of the articles pertinent to service robots are mostly to determine people's attitudes and acceptance toward these services focuses.

The studies seem to focus more on customer acceptance, trust, expectations, risks, adaptation, reasons for preference, impact on creative services, emotional and cognitive effects and human–robot interaction. Despite this, it is observed that there are fewer studies on topics such as the development of service robots in restaurant businesses, their reflections on the future, future opportunities and the quality of chef service robots. Based on this, it is recommended to consider studies that will serve as a reference for revealing innovative opportunities that can meet future expectations in order to increase the quality of service robots in restaurant businesses.

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the robot restaurant servicescape and robot service competence (RSC) on customers’ behavioral intentions and to analyze the mediating role of hedonic value (HV) and utilitarian value (UV) in these relationships and the moderating role of individual characteristics.

This research involves seven constructs to be measured, namely, servicescape, RSC, negative attitude toward robots (NAR), openness to change (OC), HV, UV and behavioral intention. This research selects Foodom robot restaurants, located in Shunde and Guangzhou of China, as the research site, and the research objects are customers having dinner in the restaurant. A total of 485 valid data was collected. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data, verify the proposed research model, and test the research hypotheses.

The study finds that servicescape and RSC improve customer behavioral intention. Additionally, HV and UV mediate the influence of servicescape and RSC on customer behavioral intention. Moreover, OC negatively moderates the influence of servicescape on UV and that a NAR negatively moderates the influence of RSC on HV.

Through carefully design of servicescape and the improvement in service capabilities of robots, the original service delivery dominated by frontline service personnel can be transformed into service delivery dominated by service robots, which is conductive to providing a pleasant and unforgettable experience for customers.

The advancement of technology and increased sales of service robots have led to discussions about their usage. Recently, the use of service robots in accommodation businesses has become a topic of examination. This study aims to explore the behavioural intentions of accommodation business managers towards using service robots from the perspective of the technology acceptance model. As part of this project-supported study, the ‘Sanbot Elf’ service robot was rented for 14 days and demonstrated in six accommodation businesses in Kastamonu. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers and unit supervisors after the demonstration, and the process was also monitored through participant observation. The data were analysed using content analysis and participant observation methods. It was determined that participants' opinions on service robots were generally positive. Participants stated that personalised service presentations could be provided with service robots and that these robots could be used in different departments and marketing processes. The study concluded that service robots could positively impact service quality, are an exciting technology for accommodation businesses and the use of service robots could increase in the future. Participants' attitudes towards using service robots in accommodation businesses were positive in this context.

This study aims to apply the service robot acceptance model (sRAM) to examine how attitude toward human–robot interaction (HRI) and engagement influence consumer acceptance of service robots in a frontline setting.

Data was collected from 255 visitors who interacted with a robotic tour guide at a city museum. The data was analyzed using smart PLS 4.0.

The findings show the positive effects of subjective norms, appearance, perceived trust and positive emotion on both attitude toward HRI and engagement. In addition, social capability impacted attitude toward HRI, whereas perceived usefulness affected engagement.

To deliver engaging museum experiences that bring about positive word-of-mouth and intention to visit, managers need to incorporate the sRAM dimensions in the design and deployment of service robots.

This research uses field data to empirically validate the sRAM in the context of service robot acceptance. It introduces engagement as a novel mediating variable, enriching current understanding of human-like qualities in HRIs.