The restaurant industry is facing a perfect storm of challenges, including labor shortages, high employee turnover, and rising labor costs. In Illinois, the average hourly pay for a food service worker is $15.72 as of January 5, 2025 . However, there are efforts underway to bring the minimum wage for tipped employees, such as restaurant servers, to the current level of $14 an hour. This potential change in the minimum wage could significantly impact average pay and further exacerbate the challenges faced by restaurant owners and operators. These challenges are forcing restaurant owners and operators to find new ways to control labor costs, increase efficiency, and maintain profitability. One solution that is gaining traction is the use of robotic fryers.
Robotic fryers offer several benefits to restaurants, including:
- Increased efficiency: Robotic fryers can cook food faster and more consistently than human workers, which can help to improve kitchen throughput and reduce customer wait times.
- Improved consistency: Robotic fryers can help to ensure that food is cooked to the same standard every time, regardless of who is operating the fryer. This can help to improve customer satisfaction and reduce food waste.
- Reduced labor costs: Robotic fryers can help to reduce the need for human labor in the kitchen, which can free up staff to focus on other tasks, such as customer service.
- Improved safety: Robotic fryers can help to improve kitchen safety by reducing the risk of burns and other injuries associated with deep frying.
- Enhanced sustainability: Robotic fryers can enhance sustainability by reducing oil and food waste due to their precision in controlling cooking times and oil usage.
How Robotic Fryers Work
Robotic fryers use a combination of robotics and AI to automate the process of deep frying food. There are varying levels of automation available, ranging from systems that assist with specific tasks to those that can handle the entire frying
process.
Robotic fryers by RoboChef are designed to work collaboratively with human staff, these advanced systems are equipped with sensors that detect the temperature and cooking time required for different foods, allowing them to adjust the cooking process accordingly.
The Impact of Labor Rate Increases on Fryer Automation Adoption
The recent increase in labor rates has had a significant impact on the adoption of automation in restaurant kitchens. As labor costs rise, restaurants are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their reliance on human labor and mitigate the financial impact of wage hikes. Robotic fryers offer a viable solution to this challenge by automating a labor-intensive task and potentially offsetting increased costs in other areas.
In California, where the minimum wage for fast-food workers will increase to $20 per hour in April 2024, the adoption of automation is expected to accelerate. This trend is likely to continue in other states as labor costs continue to rise.
Projected Labor Rates in the Food Service Industry
The industry added 200,000 jobs in 2024, an increase of 1.3%. However, the total number of restaurant server jobs is expected to decrease
by 3% between 2022 and 2032. This suggests that while the demand for food service workers will continue to grow, the types of jobs available may change. This shift in the job market may create opportunities for retraining and redeployment of staff, allowing those displaced from traditional server roles to transition into other food service positions.
Restaurant operators expect labor costs to increase by up to 5% in 2024. This is due to a number of factors, including inflation, the ongoing labor shortage, and the increasing minimum wage in many states. However, it’s worth noting that food-away-from-home inflation is expected to ease in 2025, with Datassential projecting a 2.0% inflation rate compared to 3.8% in 2024. This decrease in inflation could potentially offset some of the rising labor costs.
Between 2024 and 2032, the restaurant and food service industry is projected to add 150,000 jobs a year on average, with total staffing levels reaching 16.9 million by 2032. To meet these staffing needs, the U.S. labor force will need to expand, particularly in the cohorts that are important to restaurants.
Conclusion
Robotic fryers offer a compelling solution for restaurants seeking to navigate the challenges of rising labor costs, labor shortages, and increasing demands for efficiency and consistency. By automating the process of deep frying food, robotic fryers can help restaurants improve kitchen throughput, reduce customer wait times, enhance food quality, and reduce the risk of workplace injuries.
With 98% of restaurants identifying staff shortages as a top challenge, now is the time to invest in technology that will give you a competitive edge.
Ready to experience the benefits of the Smart Fryer? Check out our video below and contact us today for a demo and see how we can help you transform your kitchen.