A silver lining in the COVID-19 cloud: examining customers' value perceptions, willingness to use and pay more for robotic restaurants

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the restaurant industry due to enforced closures and limitations on social gatherings, prompting restaurateurs to innovate and adapt in order to ensure the viability of their businesses. Pandemic has also induced changes in our perceptions of safety in public spaces, necessitating the adoption of social distancing and more widespread use of online platforms for purchasing and communication. While the pandemic might be a catalyst for the adoption of contactless technologies, some restaurateurs remain hesitant to invest in service robots because they are not convinced of the return on investment and the potential value service robots can deliver to their customers. Therefore, this study aims to explore customer value perceptions of service robots and their impact on customers' attitudes and behaviors toward robotic restaurants. Findings yielded by a survey of 445 potential diners in Taiwan show that customers' willingness to use and to pay more for robotic restaurants are determined by their attitudes toward robots, which are influenced by functional, conditional, epistemic, emotional, co-creation, and social values. Our survey results also reveal that the importance of conditional value is amplified by crisis-specific antecedents, namely the need for physical distancing and mysophobia. These findings have implications for restaurant pricing policies and can be considered by restaurant managers when formulating strategies aimed at sustaining their business in these challenging times.