Carola Raab

Papers

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About

Carola Raab is a pioneering hospitality researcher whose work sits at the cutting edge of technology adoption in the food service industry, with a particular focus on robotics and automation in quick-service restaurants (QSRs). Her research investigates how innovative technologies are reshaping restaurant operations and the guest experience, addressing both the practical and human dimensions of this transformation. Raab's most influential contribution, "How To Build a Better Robot . . . for Quick-Service Restaurants" (2020), has garnered 77 citations, establishing her as a leading voice in hospitality technology research. Using qualitative focus group methodology, she captured authentic diner perspectives on robot integration in QSR environments — work that proved remarkably prescient as the COVID-19 pandemic subsequently accelerated industry interest in automation. Her follow-up study on factors influencing guest acceptance of robotic technology further deepens this scholarly conversation, exploring how robotics can address critical industry pain points including labor shortages, cost management, and sanitation concerns. Raab's scholarship is particularly valuable for practitioners and academics navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of restaurant technology, offering empirically grounded insights that bridge consumer psychology, operational efficiency, and the future of hospitality service delivery.