Robots and automation are taking over many industries in China. Innovation expert Ashley Dudarenok dives into the restaurant industry, where the change for waiters has already been profound, she writes at Chozan
Ashley Dudarenok:
China’s restaurant industry is no longer experimenting with automation. The question has shifted from “if” to “how fast” and “how much.”
In 2025, the country’s service robot market was projected to reach $40 billion, with growth at a compound annual rate of 17.1 percent to $195 billion by 2035. For restaurant operators facing relentless labor pressure and thinning margins, robot waiters have become a commercial necessity rather than a novelty.
China’s catering income reached approximately $680 billion in the first 10 months of 2025, up 3.3 percent year-on-year. The sector accounted for 11.2 percent of total retail sales in October.
For executives, the real question is no longer novelty. It is operational leverage. A restaurant robot must reduce pressure during peak-hour service, support human staff, and fit into a broader digital stack that may include POS integration, table service automation, fleet management, and RaaS models.
Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.
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