Customer acceptance of restaurant service robot: The role of restaurant types and personal innovativeness

Abstract

This study examines customers’ intention to adopt restaurant service robots. Based on the service robot acceptance model (sRAM), this research aims to examine the moderating effect of restaurant types and personal innovativeness. By randomly assigning scenarios among three restaurant types (i.e., limited-service, moderate, and fine-dining), customers evaluate their degree of acceptance as support and substitute. We find that (1) customers of limited-service restaurants are willing to accept service robots as the substitute level by perceived usefulness, (2) moderate restaurant customers consider both perceived usefulness and trust, and (3) fine-dining restaurant customers have a willingness to accept the service robot to the substitute level based on trust. The study also corroborates that the acceptance of service robots varies depending on personal innovativeness. Our analysis contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of acceptance of restaurant service robots and provides managerial guidance for successful implementation of service robots in each restaurant type.