Now, the restaurant automation hype is stronger than ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Restaurants are finding new and exciting ways to automate<\/a>, from speeding up self-service with conveyor belts to streamlining food prep with automated digital makelines.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, we\u2019re even watching automation history being made in real-time, with fully automated restaurants becoming less of a \u201cJetson\u2019s-only\u201d thing and more of an actual reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Which we\u2019ll talk more about in a bit.) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if you\u2019ve decided 2026 is your year to jump on the automation train, you\u2019re in the right spot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s everything you need to know about restaurant automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Restaurant automation is when you use tech-powered solutions to complete \u2014 and improve \u2014 different areas of your restaurant\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what those \u201cimprovements\u201d look like in practice is totally up to you! <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use restaurant automations to improve whatever operational areas you see fit, whether that\u2019s making things faster, easier, more efficient, all of the above, or none of the above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, how your restaurant uses automation depends on what your customers want, what your restaurant needs, and what automated solutions exist that meet both criteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a few popular examples of what restaurant automation can look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (If you want more info about AI-powered automations, check out <\/em>this blog post<\/em><\/a>!)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The reason restaurant automation is so important depends on who you ask. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you ask diners, it\u2019s important because they want speed, efficiency, and ease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In May 2025<\/a>, PAR Technology surveyed over 1,000 US consumers to learn more about their restaurant tech preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respondents said<\/a> they believe restaurant AI and tech could \u201csignificantly speed up the ordering process,\u201d especially for takeout and delivery (48%). They also noted reduced wait times and more accurate orders as two other key benefits of restaurant automation and tech, with 44% saying<\/a> they\u2019d most likely visit a restaurant using AI for ordering and billing specifically (with human support available for questions).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, if you ask restaurant owners, automation is important because it makes their job (and their employees\u2019 jobs) easier, saves them time and money, and makes customers happier, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Automated kitchen management systems \u2014 like the \u201cChipotlanes\u201d Chipotle is expanding next year<\/a>\u00a0 \u2014 can save you and your employees from tedious, time-consuming, easy-to-mess-up tasks like manual inventory monitoring or reordering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Automations have shown savings in the food-waste department, too. Certain AI-powered automations offer solutions like waste reporting and reduction<\/a> n, helping your team prep just enough and throw out way, way less.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Restaurant owners have also leaned on automation support for staffing. While some people (incorrectly) assume that automation is intended to replace human employees, it actually makes their jobs easier and more enjoyable. Automation relieves your employees from tasks that are boring as all get out, empowering them to do more meaningful, \u201chuman-only\u201d things like customer service and support<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, why is restaurant automation important? Because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n (\u2026not because it\u2019s supposed to replace employees with high-speed robots, okay?)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We just saw the range of benefits even small-scale restaurant automation can offer your customers, your employees, and you, as the owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what if you could take those automation-led improvements to the next level? <\/p>\n\n\n\n What if you completely freed up employees so they could do bigger, better, more human things?<\/p>\n\n\n\n What if you could fully automate your restaurant\u2019s operations? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, the restaurant world isn\u2019t there quite<\/em> yet\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n But Kuri Revolving Sushi Bar tells us we\u2019re pretty dang close. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kura Sushi started out very <\/em>small. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in the 70s<\/a>, Kunihiko Tanaka was selling vinegar to sushi restaurants in Japan when he noticed the industry wasn\u2019t going in the direction he thought it should be \u2014 quality control was poor, pricing was inconsistent, and the food was too expensive.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, Tanaka decided to do something about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1970<\/a>, he opened the very first Kura Sushi restaurant. In 1996<\/a>, he founded Kura Corp., a firm that \u201c[aimed] to bring sushi to the masses\u201d through technological advancements. In 2009<\/a>, Kura Sushi\u2019s first American location opened in Irvine, CA.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since then, Kura Sushi has become \u201cthe country\u2019s largest revolving sushi bar chain,\u201d boasting 70 locations across 19 states\u2026 and it\u2019s not just because their sushi is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kura Sushi is \u201cone of the most robot-enhanced restaurant chains in the [US]<\/a>,\u201d with just about every part of the customer experience powered by tech or totally automated.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kur-B the KuraBot<\/a> delivers drinks and condiments to customers\u2019 tables. Back-of-house robots<\/a> handle tedious kitchen tasks like washing and cooking rice. And a constantly-moving conveyor belt puts sushi directly in the hands of customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019ve also got some of the most affordable pricing in the sushi market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kura Sushi has a goal of charging 50% less than their competitors as often as possible, something the brand\u2019s CEO, Hajime Uba, says<\/a> is only possible \u201cbecause of the incredible efficiencies [they] have from [automation].\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kura Sushi\u2019s tech isn\u2019t just <\/em>for the customers, though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Front- and back-of-house operations have a ton of gadgets that help them stay on track, like a \u201cQR scan plate system<\/a>\u201d that helps with forecasting and waste reduction, and a plate-removing robotic arm that removes empty plates and \u201c[keeps] disposal rates as low as 3%.<\/a>\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is Restaurant Automation?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhy is Restaurant Automation Important?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Can You Fully Automate a Restaurant?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar: A Mostly<\/em> Automated Restaurant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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