High-Tech Restaurants Slideshow
Hajime Robot Restaurant, Bangkok
Similar to the Dalu Robot Restaurant, Hajime also employs robots as their waitstaff. Diners sit facing a glass enclosure where the robots move back and forth on a track and serve customers through windows. The restaurant offers a menu of nearly 100 authentic Japanese dishes and the "servers" are designed to make gestures and expressions and can even dance along to music. In the back of the house, Hajime has two robots to help prep food.
4Food, New York City
This health-conscious fast-food outlet uses iPad technology to guide customers through the ordering process. They start with the burger patty, which is shaped like a doughnut and comes in seven varieties, then the scoop — fillings that go in the center of the patty — then the toppings and the bun. The iPad ordering system is meant to make the decisions easier for customers. The restaurant also features a large smart board that records social media interactions, like Foursquare check-ins and Facebook likes.
4Food, New York City
This health-conscious fast-food outlet uses iPad technology to guide customers through the ordering process. They start with the burger patty, which is shaped like a doughnut and comes in seven varieties, then the scoop — fillings that go in the center of the patty — then the toppings and the bun. The iPad ordering system is meant to make the decisions easier for customers. The restaurant also features a large smart board that records social media interactions, like Foursquare check-ins and Facebook likes.
Redline, Washington, D.C.
If you're craving a more personalized experience as far as sports bars are concerned, Redline is the place for you. This D.C. spot has built-in taps at every booth, so patrons can pour their own beer while enjoying the game on the flat screen located just above the table (there are more than 40 in the restaurant). Each party has the option of choosing two beers for their table tap to go along with the French-American fare offered on the menu.
Inamo Restaurant, London
This restaurant located in London's SoHo neighborhood features cutting-edge technology on every table — virtual table, that is. Diners get to control every step of their meal, using the interactive touch-screen table. When you're ready to order, photos of the dishes on the menu get projected onto the screen, and once you've placed your food and drink order you can play a game or even watch the chef prepare your meal via webcam. When it's time to head home, patrons can pay through the table and can even order a taxi to drive them home.
‘s Baggers, Nuremberg, Germany
The concept behind this innovative restaurant is automation, and nearly everything (except for the chefs cooking the food) in included in the theme. Tables are attached to metal rails that are connected to the kitchen on the floor above, and the food and drinks are delivered via the rails. Diners order through touch-screen tablets at the table; the system also communicates with the kitchen staff and the diners to give estimated delivery times.
The Melt, San Francisco
The innovation at The Melt begins before diners even set foot in the restaurant. Customers are encouraged to place their grilled cheese order through their mobile site ahead of time. When this happens, a QR code is created that they can then swipe when they go to pick up their food. In order to ensure quality grilled cheese sandwiches, the employees use a customized grill/microwave appliance to prepare have the food ready to go exactly two minutes after an order is swiped.
Bell Book & Candle, New York City
This restaurant in Manhattan's West Village is using technology to offer diners a truly local eating experience. The kitchen staff plants more than 70 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs on the rooftop of the restaurant using an innovative vertical planting system, and the produce is transported directly down to the kitchen daily using a pulley system. The seasonally changing menu is built around what crops they're currently planting in the garden upstairs.
Dalu Robot Restaurant, Jinan, China
This restaurant features six robots (androids) that have been designed to wait on the diners. The robots deliver meals by riding on bicycles set along a track that runs through the restaurant. Dalu Robot also employs androids to greet diners as hostesses. The technology was created by the Shandong Dalu Science and Technology Company.