Dining with robots: exploring the customer willingness to adopt service robots in restaurants

Purpose With the increasing integration of service robots in daily life, the study aims to identify the factors affecting willingness to adopt service robots in restaurant settings. Design/methodology/approach To examine the willingness to adopt service robots, this study gathered data from 338 respondents. The data have been analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the measurement model and proposed hypothesis. Findings The findings of the study revealed that, out of the factors lead to enjoyment, social presence is the most significant factor, followed by appearance and anthropomorphism. Regarding attitude, precision is the most significant factor followed by perceived intelligence, personalization and automation. In context of trust, privacy is the most significant factor followed by malfunction. The study finds no impact of anxiety on trust. In case of customer engagement, attitude is the most significant factor followed by enjoyment and perceived trust. Lastly, the study confirms the moderating impact of robot service quality on the relationship between customer engagement and willingness to adopt service robots. Practical implications These findings offer valuable insights for service providers, technology developers, training providers, manufacturers, marketers, restaurants and policymakers to develop more effective strategies for offering robot services in restaurants. Originality/value This study provides a comprehensive understanding of both positive and negative factors affecting willingness to adopt service robots in restaurant settings. Furthermore, the research provides important findings on the role of robot service quality as a moderator in association between the customer engagement and willingness to adopt service robots.