AI Resilience Report forWaiters and Waitresses

If you're worried that robots will replace waiters tomorrow, take a deep breath — the reality is more nuanced. According to a recent National Restaurant Association report, 26% of restaurant operators say they are using artificial intelligence-related tools at their restaurants, but most of that AI is working behind the scenes. Marketing is the top area where AI tools are being used, while only 6% of restaurants are using AI for customer orders.

So far, AI is mostly helping with scheduling, inventory, and ads — not taking your tables.

That said, augmentation is creeping onto the dining floor. Tableside tablets, QR-code menus, and self-order kiosks now handle the "write down the order" part of the job, and chains like Yum Brands and McDonald's are experimenting with voice AI in drive-thrus ^[1]. Some restaurants are even rolling out robot food-runners that ferry plates from kitchen to booth.

But importantly, the vast majority of operators (94%) say technology has not led to the elimination of hospitality positions — these tools are mostly freeing servers from busywork rather than replacing them.

The human side of the job is proving stubbornly hard to automate. As Restaurant Business editor Jonathan Maze put it, the technology is a long way from being able to successfully replace people, and in restaurants it's not entirely evident that it ever should. He argues that AI can free workers to do the things AI cannot ^[2] — like greeting guests and reading the room — which is exactly why chains like Chick-fil-A and Chili's still lean hard into human service.

Several forces are pushing restaurants toward AI: rising food and labor costs, thin profit margins, and a chronic struggle to staff dining rooms. The NRA frames technology as an "essential asset," as operators face increased operational costs and constrained consumer spending, and six in 10 operators say they plan to invest more in technology to enhance the customer experience. Younger diners are open to it too — roughly six in 10 millennials and Gen Z adults said they would place an order with an AI-generated bot.

But adoption is also slowing for real reasons. Customers don't fully buy in: nearly two-thirds of operators believe technology improves hospitality, while only 41% of consumers agree, and only 39% of consumers said they would be comfortable placing their order with an AI-generated persona. Cost and reliability are issues too — Taco Bell famously had to rethink its drive-thru voice AI after inconsistent performance ^[1], and McDonald's ended its IBM voice partnership in 2024.

The labor math also cuts both ways. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects waiter and waitress employment to decline just 1% from 2024–34 ^[3], with roughly 456,700 openings each year from turnover. That's a huge, resilient job market.

The big takeaway: the 2026 industry conversation centers on using AI to help workers, not replace them ^[4] — so warmth, hospitality, and being able to read a guest's mood remain skills that pay.