What do customers feel about robots in restaurants? A mixed-methods study of explicit and implicit responses

Purpose The increasing use of robots in hospitality services raises questions about how consumers emotionally respond to these technologies, particularly regarding trust, perceived risk and intention to use. This study aims to address this gap by examining both explicit and implicit emotions and their role in shaping consumer acceptance of robot waiters. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were conducted: a mixed-method survey with 318 participants analyzed through structural equation modeling and a semantic priming test with 97 participants to capture implicit emotional responses. Findings Emotions mediate the effects of trust and perceived risk on intention to use. While explicit attitudes toward robots are favorable, implicit results reveal emotional resistance, exposing a gap between conscious and subconscious reactions. Research limitations/implications Findings are limited by sample size and context; future research should explore diverse cultural and service settings to test generalizability. Practical implications Results guide hospitality managers in designing emotionally engaging robotic experiences and communication strategies to foster consumer acceptance. Social implications The study informs debates on automation, consumer trust and the balance between efficiency and human connection in services. Originality/value By combining explicit and implicit measures, the research offers a novel view of emotional dynamics in adopting service robots, advancing hospitality and consumer behavior literature. This study offers a threefold contribution: it applies semantic priming within a mixed-methods approach, uses it to measure anticipatory emotions and transfers this methodological application to a context that remains largely unexplored, namely, the restaurant sector.