1 day Ago By Mae Cornes
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own. Staying ahead of the steep food trends with today’s picky audience entails a tall order of demands, but Yong Wang is a cookery aficionado who knows a thing or two about serving dining solutions that never go out of style. “Technology isn’t just a tool; it’s the future of dining,” asserts Wang, the founder of one of the first AI-powered restaurants in the United States.
As a pioneer in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the commercial kitchen, Wang’s insights offer a glimpse into a transformative era for the food service industry. Coinciding with the time when COVID-19 put the world to a standstill, Wang’s Chinese restaurant just made its grand opening in Santa Barbara, California. The global shutdown affected thousands of sectors, including the food service industry, which faced unprecedented challenges.
Labor shortages and rising operational costs threatened the survival of many establishments. Amid this turmoil, Wang’s AI-powered restaurant refused to become a victim of the pandemic. Instead, it turned to technology to keep the business going strong.
Wang addressed labor shortages while captivating a market eager for technological advancements in dining by introducing two service robots from China. “You know what they say; ‘necessity is the mother of invention,’” Wang quotes. “Our use of AI isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about providing consistent and safe quality despite a global health emergency.
People who wanted to grab a bowl of their favorite noodles could do so without worrying about catching COVID-19.” Wang’s methodology, underpinned by this philosophy, has earned him widespread recognition, including a feature in “Marquis Who’s Who in the World” and an accolade as the Best Business Owner in America in 2024. Sourced from overseas and equipped with elite AI algorithms, the humanoid robots were a huge leap for Wang’s restaurant.
With the main purpose of providing safe food service throughout the pandemic, this significant shift transformed authentic Chinese restaurants into an AI-powered food haven. Mimicking the human touch as closely as possible, the multi-lingual robots could successfully perform a variety of tasks. From taking orders via a mobile app to serving freshly-made cuisines, customers could rest assured that the service was at 100%.
Ensuring that health protocols during the global health crisis were adhered to, the robots also expertly cleaned and sanitized surfaces after every customer. The science behind their competence lies in a sophisticated combination of AI and NLP (natural language processing). On top of that, Wang implemented a supplementary CRM (customer relationship management) system that served as a gateway for data collection and analysis.
This ranged from tracking customer preferences and retaining order history to assessing feedback. This enabled the robots to retrieve customer data in real-time, giving rise to a more personalized and responsive dining experience. It was frequently utilized for suggesting additional menu items based on a customer’s previous orders, as stored in the CRM system.
In essence, the AI-powered robots and CRM system synergized as two interconnected components vital to the futuristic core that the restaurant is renowned for. The enhanced safety and hygiene provided by the robots add to the polished customer service experience. Aside from the hearty noodles and refreshing beverages, customers frequently returned for the sanitized, fully contactless dining environment that exuded top-quality cleanliness.
Kicking it up a notch from basic sanitation to green sustainability, Wang’s AI-powered restaurant also made significant contributions to Mother Nature. While it may be easy for humans to forget to adjust the lights, heating, or cooling systems amid all the buzz of a culinary establishment, the robots were on top of their energy management. Using real-time data as a basis for energy efficiency, the restaurant soon saw a remarkable downtick in its utility expenditures and environmental impact.
Wang’s restaurant specifically solves a significant gap in the market: quality dining options for students and the late-night workforce after 10 p.m. Traditional dining establishments often close their doors early, leaving night owls and shift workers with limited options.
While 24-hour convenience stores are, indeed, convenient. There are food cravings that only an authentic Chinese restaurant can satisfy. Wang’s 24-hour, AI-powered, self-service model offers a solution, serving freshly-cooked noodles and milk tea with near-restaurant quality at any hour.
Night owls now enjoy high-quality food even after the clock strikes 10 in the evening. Wang’s AI model provides significant economic benefits. As inflation and labor costs soar, many food service businesses struggle to stay afloat.
Wang’s restaurant maintains lower operational costs and offers competitive pricing by reducing dependency on human labor. “AI allows us to reinvest in our business and pass savings on to our customers,” Wang explains. This method centers on both sustainability and increased customer satisfaction.
“This does not mean that AI can be the perfect replacement for the human touch, Wang adds. “There is no replacing the TLC that comes from an actual person. However, in this respect, AI is a suitable alternative that certifies optimal safety, hygiene, and efficiency without compromising on the quality that our restaurant stands for.
Our goal is to use technology to improve service quality while retaining the essential human elements of hospitality.” Santa Barbara residents are regulars at Wang’s midnight snack hub. Next, Wang plans to expand the Chinese restaurant into major university towns in other US states and Canada.
This power move aims to meet the growing demand for 24/7 dining solutions in educational locations. “We plan to create a network of AI-powered restaurants that cater to the needs of students and night-shift workers across North America,” Wang states. Some restaurateurs hold an edge over their peers regarding delectable menu options; others gain a following thanks to their ambience and service quality, but only a few can balance all the aspects of a top-notch restaurant and meld it into one.
This is where Yong Wang is found in his element..
