An economic perspective on the implementation of artificial intelligence in the restaurant sector

Technology is evolving and being implemented across nearly every sector of society, including health, nutrition, and sustainability. Specifically, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an essential tool in gastronomy, not only facilitating chefs' work but also fostering business innovation through cost reduction. However, for a gastronomic business to be profitable, it is crucial to understand its strategic elements. In this study, three groups associated with gastronomy-chefs, entrepreneurs, and gastronomic experts-were surveyed to gather their opinions on the application of artificial intelligence in the restaurant sector in Spain. Additionally, the Business Model Canvas and Lean Model Canvas were developed, specifically adapted for the restaurant sector. These models, as novel approaches, allowed for the identification of key success factors based on the respondents' experiences, considering that the Business Model Canvas focuses on the market and the company, while the Lean Model Canvas prioritizes the market and the product. This distinction is essential for mitigating the high failure rate in the restaurant industry in Spain. The results from the Canvas models and SWOT analysis have allowed us to understand the participants' views. They largely see the use of AI in gastronomy as beneficial due to innovation in recipes and cost savings. However, concerns were raised about the potential loss of human touch in dish preparation and increased unemployment due to the automation of some cooking processes. These findings could be highly relevant for future restaurant entrepreneurs.