From Line Cooks to Robots

An Insider's Look at AI and Automation in Restaurants

For an important 15 years of my life, I worked in kitchens. First and foremost, I learned to cook, and I took it seriously: I wanted to understand different cooking techniques, and I even considered making a career of it.

Meanwhile, AI is revolutionizing every industry, and the restaurant industry is no exception. Naturally, this is a very curious juncture for me, but I haven’t cooked in a commercial kitchen in nearly 20 years, so I wanted to pick an expert’s brain for the “boots on the ground” observations you’ve come to expect from me.

Today, I am leaning heavily on the observations of BrianAlfred1983 —Brian Alfred Perrine—who writes The Anthroculinarian on Substack. Brian puts together thoughtful, well written pieces about food; if you’re so inclined, go and subscribe to him now, then come back to read this conversation.

AI Creeping into the Restaurant Industry

Artificial Intelligence and automation have been steadily transforming the restaurant industry, deeply impacting the dynamics of the kitche…