Food service and hospitality are changing fast. Not because of new dishes or concepts – but because margin, labor, and expectations are forcing a redesign of how hospitality is delivered, and managed. Professor dr. Danny Han, Food Inspirations new technology correspondent, looks at the hospitality market from a user-centred tech perspective.

AI predicts demand before guests arrive.

Robots prepare, transport, and serve.

Sensors watch kitchens in real time.

Dashboards promise control over cost, quality, and consistency.

Yet behind the scenes, many operators share the same feeling:
“we are adding tools but are we gaining performance?”

That is rarely a technology problem. It is a design problem.

AI without integration into daily decision-making remains analytics.

Robots without experience choreography risk harming the human-touch rather than helping it.

Data without interpretation does not lead to better service, but more noise. 

And immersive technology treated as a gimmick rarely survives beyond a demo.

The real question, therefore, is not which technology to adopt but how technology reshapes the experiences for guests, staff, and organizations alike.

"Digital innovation in hospitality should remain human-centred, intentional, and aligned with how we naturally connect."

Introducing: professor dr. Danny Han

Dr. Dai-In Danny Han is Professor at the Research Centre Future of Food at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in Maastricht and Senior Research Associate at the Food Evolution Research Laboratory, University of Johannesburg. As an internationally recognized expert in the application of immersive and intelligent technologies, his work focuses on the intersection of food, hospitality, and technology. He supports organizations in translating emerging technologies into meaningful, consumer-centred experiences.

With a PhD in Augmented Reality user experience design and over a decade of applied research in XR (extended reality), AI, robotics, and data-driven systems, Danny Han collaborates with industry partners on applied research and innovation projects that spans across immersive dining, AI-enhanced storytelling, digital human applications, robotics in service, sustainable kitchen operations, and XR-based training and behavioural interventions.


When I was working in hospitality operations, it became clear to me that the industry thrives on genuine human-to-human contact. That interpersonal energy is what makes hospitality come alive. At the same time, over the past decade our relationship with personal devices has fundamentally changed. Technology allows us to connect across continents, yet it also raises important questions and much debate about psychological wellbeing, social cohesion, and the long-term societal impact of rapid technological developments.

"Too often, humans adapt to the constraints of technology rather than technology being designed around our natural behaviours."

For me, hospitality and food service are places where people physically come together. These are therefore a fascinating focal point for technological innovation. The question is not whether technology should be present in these places, but how it must be designed to strengthen human connection while supporting business performance. Too often, I observe that humans adapt to the constraints of technology rather than technology being designed around our natural behaviours. As I write this, I notice myself leaning over a small keyboard and intermittently checking my phone, momentarily disconnecting from the physical world around me. It reinforces my conviction that digital innovation in hospitality must remain human-centred, intentional, and aligned with how we naturally connect and experience the world.

What’s to come?

Over the coming months, in my expert column I will explore how technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, immersive tech, Internet of Things (IoT), and data are transforming food service and hospitality beyond the hype, beyond pilots, and beyond buzzwords.

Not by asking what is new, but by asking what actually works and why.

Over the coming months, we will examine:

  • where AI truly earns its place in operations;

  • how automation can support, not replace, hospitality;

  • why immersive technology is becoming infrastructure rather than entertainment;

  • and why better data does not automatically lead to better experiences.

This column series is not about stimulating to adopt more technology. It is about exploring hospitality systems where humans, intelligent tools, and data work together, deliberately and meaningfully.

The future of hospitality is already here. The only question is whether we are proactively shaping it… or merely reacting to it.