Sustainable Zero-Waste Kitchen Operations in Hotels: Leveraging Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Service Automation (RAISA)

Abstract

Hotel kitchens, often the heart of food operations, generate significant amounts of waste and consume considerable resources, posing critical challenges to sustainability. This theoretical paper explores how Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Service Automation (RAISA) technologies can enable sustainable, zero-waste kitchen operations in the hotel industry. Through a narrative literature review, the paper identifies innovative RAISA tools such as AI-powered inventory systems, smart appliances, and robotic chefs that reduce food waste, energy use, and operational inefficiencies. Despite the potential of RAISA in hotel kitchens, not many hotels adopt RAISA. Key barriers to RAISA adoption, such as high costs, lack of training, resistance to change, and technological integration challenges, are critically analysed. This paper proposes two conceptual models: one positioning RAISA as an enabler of the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit, and another advocating internal and external stakeholder collaboration for successful RAISA adoption. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for future research to empirically validate the environmental and financial impact of RAISA, develop new metrics, and create accessible business models. This work contributes to both theory and practice by linking RAISA adoption to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and offering practical roadmaps for hotel managers and policy-makers.