Restaurant Automation is Failing the Vast Majority of Small Businesses

As seen at the National Restaurant Association Show and beyond, robotics are surging onto the restaurant scene.

Large chains are tapping into the benefits of robotics and kitchen automation to help deliver their service and beat back against negative market pressures like staffing shortages and increasing operational costs. With large footprints and exuberant costs that the current restaurant automation offers, small chains and individual stores are being left behind. If you’re a restaurant owner with a couple locations or one location, the likelihood of having the kitchen or behind the counter space to implement robotic arms to hang from your ceiling or the capital to commit to a $60,000 investment is low. This is where most of the back-of-the-house restaurant automation exists in the market today; large, bulky, and expensive - leaving the barrier to entry high for most restauranteurs.

Meanwhile, many businesses are feeling the pinch as demand for inside dining returns while takeout and delivery demand persists higher than pre-pandemic levels. Coupled with staffing shortages and inflationary pressures, restaurants are struggling to keep up and maintain their competitive edge. There is no doubt that we have reached a new age of restaurant operations which all has an impact on customers’ and staffs' experience.

According to Yelp’s State of the Restaurant Industry 2022 report, consumers are noticing longer wait times for their orders and reviews citing staffing shortages have increased by 229% from Q1 2021. That means reducing the hours of operation, menu options, availability or anything else to help ease pressures of staffing shortages and with increased demand means restaurant operators are missing revenue opportunities. Customers are choosing options that are available and quicker and the robotic automation that is available on the market to ease these issues tend not to be accessible to most businesses.

This is what we exist for. We understand that there is a need solutions that fits your business with a quick return on investment.

Bridge Appliances focuses on segmented solutions to address time consuming tasks that occur on the line and help get your customers served faster. Our devices are focused to help your employees achieve more with less of their effort so they can focus on different tasks that help drive success to your business and deliver the best possible service to customers.