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Easybar cocktail station costs about $30,000, or roughly half what a human union bartender costs to replace

This article discusses the addition of the Smart Tender at MGM Hotels in Las Vegas. It raised some questions that many people pointed out this week in our discussion posts. What will happen with bartending jobs? Is this the beginning of the shift to more jobs being removed for technology? The article does highlight that not all bartending jobs will be lost, for example, casino bartenders. While this could be a great step forward it could also have some issues. Guests may be upset by the change in experience since you are no longer speaking to a bartender.

This article discusses the different environments in which a Smart Bar may be functional and efficient.  It intelligently discusses both sides, positive and negative of the Smart Bar and defends itself against trying to take away bar tender positions.

As with any new technology, I believe this product must find its niche. I don't believe that it will replace a face to face bartender in every situation. In areas where the customer needs to "grab a drink and go" (i.e. Theaters, Stadiums, Hotel Lobbies, etc) I think this is an excellent option. This system cannot completely replace a bartender, but it can make a drink quickly and accurately in situations where that is all that is required. This system cannot upsell, suggest particular menu items, create complex or frozen drinks, communicate with a lonely customer, etc. I believe that there is a tremendous market for a product like this, and, as a former bartender, I am jealous that I didn't come up with this idea myself.

Fieldman's intentions for the target audience for this technology may be overstretching the capabilities. I do see the movie theaters as a great option for this product. Certain areas of casinos and stadiums as a possibility for locations, such as the poker room areas in casinos or boxes in stadiums would be good locations too. I would see volume of business being the biggest enemy of this technology.

This article is an interview with one of the managing partners of SmartBar. He speaks about some of the specific uses and that it was never intended to replace a bartender, so to speak, more of replacing a service bartender. Its worth the read.

While is may seem like the future promised to us on shows like "The Jetsons" may have never really arrived, we might be one step closer to seeing the gadgets and gizmos of the cartoon world become a reality in the hospitality industry. Starwood's Aloft Hotels, an upscale, modern hotel line that appeals to Millennials, recently introduced Boltr - a check-in and delivery robot. This machine was created by Savioke - a Silicon-Valley design firm. Like other startups, Savioke aims to minimize unnecessary work and increase efficiency. There is no reason an employee needs to be paid to walk back and forth to deliver items when a robot can do the job. Royal Caribbean has also introduced its own robot, specifically for bartending, in its new luxury cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas.  Hotel staff unions see robots as a potential threat to their member-employees. Nonetheless, robots replacing employees is not just unique to the hospitality industry. 

Very much like the computerized bartender we've already studied, when does automation become too much? We are a "high touch" industry that relies heavily on our guest relationships. The human wait staff can make the guest feel welcome and spoiled (isn't that why we go on cruises in the first place?), the robot cannot. Let the machine prepare the perfect drink, then let the bartender add a smile and place it in the hands of the guest. It'll keep them coming back for more.

Cecilia is bartending technology that uses AI to create an experience that is more personable than the Smart Bar. Cecilia's clients thus far seem to be large corporations (Microsoft, KPMG), but is being marketed for event rental, and used as an educational tool at FIU. Though no machine can replace human interactions, Cecilia provides a viable contactless service alternative.

The Nino Robotic cocktail maker is a larger scale version of the roboctic bartender discussed this week in class. One of the main highlights is that guests are able to order and craft drinks from a smartphone app, and the robot is able to make as many as 800 cocktails per night. The architect of the machine explains that his concept is is not intended to replace human interaction, but instead is just one of the first of many tech-based amenities that will inevitably be part of every day life in the future.

Yes, I believe this technology is our future. There are so many avenues to be explored in the drink world. Concocting a drink at your fingertips is daunting. Having this system placed in facilities, like cruise ships, would be beneficial because of the quantity of patrons in a single place. As far as other places, like hotels, I'm not sure its necessary. It seems like it would take up a lot more space than a traditional bar.

Bartending stats; on average one person can make 4-6 drinks per minute and 15 seconds to pour one pint of beer.

This is a very interesting articles about the technology trends we are seeing in the restaurant industry such as the emenu or the robotic bartender. This article discusses the pro's and con's of these specific technological trends and also discusses how the evolution of technology is a great thing for the industry! It makes you wonder... what's next?

Fastest bartender in the Guinness Book of World Records. Sheldon Wiley made 1,043 drinks in one hour using at least 4 ingredients and without repeating any drinks.

According to this article, the IRS is considering changing the way Automatic gratuities are processed in restaurants. Often when gratuity is included, more than one issue arises. Parties tend to not leave additional tips and there is also an issue with what if a customer wants to leave less than the automatic 15 or 18 percent tip? Bennet Ackerman, owner of a Melting Pot in Indianapolis, says that "some servers tend to get a little lazy when they know they already have that automatic gratuity." If a large party is given a check of $200, some parties will tip $20. If gratuity was included, they would receive anywhere from 30-40. After tip out to the bartender, hosts and other support staff, the server is actually making about a 6% tip off of that table. I agree that with large parties, the reward sometimes does not pay off, no pun intended. More money can be made off of smaller parties, and the turn over rate is faster. Some restaurants are doing away with automatic gratuity, and instead, they are adding suggested tip amounts at the bottom of the check. This, will at the very least, give the guests dining, a reference guide. The issue at hand here is whether or not to consider the automatic gratuity as a tip for a server, or as a service charge. This will greatly affect taxes at the end of the year and budgeting for the employees. With the economy the way it is, servers and other tipped workers are seeing less tips. The issue is of great concern for restaurants and come January 1st, there may be some very unhappy employees as well as restaurant owners.

In The Proven Principles Podcast, Ron Swidler explains the future of hotel bars and food & beverage operations - it's robots! This is a part of a larger presentation on the Hotel of Tomorrow" - https://www.hospitalitynet.org/video/69001240.html https://hoteltechnologynews.com/2020/09/the-hotel-of-tomorrow-project-showcases-future-design-and-technology-concepts/ Clearly MSC Cruises anticipated this and included a hefty chunk of capital expenditure budget for this technology investment. They also tried to incorporate the 'human touch' so ingrained in hospitality interactions.

Point of Sale (POS) equipment is the computer-based order-entry technology many restaurants use to capture orders, record data and display or print tickets. Restaurant servers, bartenders and cashiers can all use POS systems to easily enter food and beverage orders.In fact,it has the ability to perform a multitude of functions, including the following: Calculate cash due for every order entered Record the method of payment Keep track of the cash in the cash drawer Create hourly and daily sales reports Allow hourly employees to clock in and out Calculate labor and payroll data Record daily check averages for each worker Keep track of menu items sold Record information on repeat customers Some of them we are familiar, some we are not. And more important, how to choose a right POS for our business is a keyEvery POS system differs based on its software, hardware and application. When looking for a POS system, do some research online and check out several different companies. You can even request a demo from a salesperson. Make sure the POS system you choose is one that fits your restaurant concept, service style and business needs. After all, this software can take a big bite out of your budget. And in this article, the author show us so many aspects should be concern when we decide to buy the POS.

The point of sale (POS) is more commonly used these days with the advancement of technology. Many restaurants use it in restaurants for many reasons. One of the reasons is to organize the orders and sales that are being processes. Not only it helps the employees to gather their information, but it is also accurate to make reports. This machine is efficient in more ways than we think. This article also point out the POS capabilities and how it works. This machine has a description of each item and the amount, it organizes the payments, creates daily financial statement, evaluate payroll, and do the calculations. Now how it works, it keeps track of the credit card payments that have entered the system, creates reports daily, and systematize the cash, etc. It is very easy for employees to access the device. First they have to enter their name, enter the order of the customer, send the order to the kitchen so it can be prepared, then wait till they ask for the check to collect the payment and register it on the POS.

This article indicates the importance of the POS system. It introduces POS system from different aspects, including POS capabilities, how employees use POS system, where to set up the POS, specific POS configurations and what to look for in a POS system. 

AI technology has been on an uprising for the past few years and it has finally arrived in the hospitality industry. The Tipsy Robot is able to prepare and serve delicious cocktails to customers without the help of a bartender. This specific Tipsy Robot can be found in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Tipsy Robot is expected to revolutionize the bartending industry by creating personalized service from a machine. In this machine, the user is able to create their own user that they can access on a later date to reorder a cocktail or create a specific one for their tasting. This technology is still on the uprising in the hospitality industry which is why there are limited locations where you can find a Tipsy Robot.

Smart bars can reduce labor costs while maintaining service quality. The smart bar is easier to highlight its superiority and efficiency under high load. Smart bars are currently used more in cocktail theaters, casinos and other places.