Cleaning robot for the catering industry
Cleaning robots in the catering industry: what the floor allows
Whether a cleaning robot works in a restaurant depends on the flooring. Not the square meter coverage listed in the data sheet, not the battery life.
So that no time is wasted
SEBOTICS We are not a cleaning service provider. We supply and service cleaning robots. If you are looking for a cleaning company for your restaurant, you've come to the wrong place. If you want to know which areas a robot can and cannot clean, you've come to the right place.
Anyone wanting to know how to clean a restaurant won't find a cleaning guide here, but rather the answer to the question of which floor areas can be cleaned by a machine. This page goes through the various areas of the establishment individually: dining room, kitchen, hallways, storage, and outdoor area. For each area, it states whether it is suitable for robot cleaning, what factors determine suitability, and which type of brush is appropriate.
Why the floor decides the robot
Restaurant floors are the most difficult to clean commercially. Not because of the surface area, which is usually small, but because of the soiling and the surface texture.
Factor 1
fat
Grease behaves differently than dust. It clings, it spreads when wiping, and it makes the floor slippery instead of cleaning it if too little pressure and too much water are used. Greasy floors need mechanical pressure, not more liquid.
To check: how far does the grease area extend from the kitchen into the hallway and into the dining room.
Factor 2
Tiles with grout
The grout line is deeper than the tile. A pad glides over it, a brush is inserted. With wide or deep grout lines, this determines whether the floor is truly clean or merely shiny.
To measure: joint width and joint depth, tile format.
Factor 3
Slip-resistant coatings
Kitchens and wet areas often have textured flooring with high slip resistance. This very texture tends to trap dirt. It requires more pressure to clean and more foot traffic than smooth flooring.
To be checked: Slip resistance class and surface structure in wet areas.
Factor 4
Thresholds, mats and drains
Dirt-trapping mats at the entrance, floor drains in the kitchen, thresholds between the dining area and the adjoining room. Each of these elements is an obstacle or an edge that a robot can get stuck on or navigate around.
Note the location and height of all mats, drains, and thresholds.
Factor 5
Furniture and obstacle density
A dining room with tables and chairs has a high density of obstacles. A robot reliably cleans the open areas, but cleaning under tables and between chair legs still requires manual labor. Elevating chairs significantly increases the bill.
To be clarified: will chairs be put up after the end of the session or not?
Disc brush, roller or pad
The cleaning tool is the part that is talked about the least in sales conversations, yet it has the greatest impact on the outcome on restaurant floors.
| Tools | Size | border |
|---|---|---|
| Disc brush | It gets into joints, works under pressure on textured surfaces, good on grease. | Increased wear and tear, requires more power |
| Cylinder brush or roller | It picks up coarse particles, good for crumbs, shards and food scraps. | Less surface pressure than the disc |
| pad | Polishes smooth floors, leaves an even finish, economical in use. | It doesn't reach joints, fails on grease and texture. |
For the catering industry, this generally means: brush instead of pad . Use the roller for crumbs and coarse residue, and the disc for grease and grout. Some machines are available with both options, such as the TN70 Pro with either a disc or a cylindrical brush. Which option is best depends on the type of flooring, not the price.
Before making any purchase decision, we conduct a test on your floor. Two square meters in a grease-resistant area tell you more than any manufacturer's specification regarding coverage per square meter.
The areas within the company, considered separately
A restaurant is not one space, but five different ones. Only two of them are fully suitable for robots.
| Area | Robot-compatible | What makes the difference |
|---|---|---|
| Guest room | Yes, after the end | Obstacle density. Chairs placed on top of each other double the usable area. |
| Corridors and entrance area | ja | Clear path, high frequency, pays off fastest. |
| Storage and cold storage area | Mostly yes | Narrow paths, pallets and boxes on the floor |
| Kitchen Style | limited | Grease, drains, wet areas, equipment on the floor. Mostly manual work remains necessary. |
| Toilet and sanitary facilities | no | Small surfaces, many edges, disinfection with control |
| Outdoor area and terrace | depending on the topping | Paving stones and curbs are exclusion criteria; smooth surfaces are acceptable. |
The honest truth: in many establishments, a robot handles the dining area and hallways . This often represents the largest area and the task that needs to be done daily. Kitchen and restrooms remain manual work, and this should be clearly stated in the menu.
What a robot doesn't do in the restaurant industry
Handwork remains
- Kitchen deep cleaning with grease remover and high pressure
- Surfaces above the floor: tables, counters, work surfaces
- Sanitary facilities including disinfection with monitoring
- Corners, edges, baseboards, areas under fixed furniture
- Broken glass and liquid spills during ongoing service
Does the robot take over?
- Daily wet cleaning of open floor areas
- High-traffic corridors and entrance area
- Repeated passes that nobody does manually
- Night operation when the business is closed
- Document the cleaned area if proof is required.
Documentation is an underestimated aspect in the restaurant industry. A device records which area was cleaned and when. During an inspection, this provides evidence that a cleaning schedule on the wall simply cannot.
Time window: after closing time instead of during service
During service, a cleaning robot has no place in the dining area. It gets in the way, it's slower than the staff, and it disrupts the table experience. The ideal time to clean it is after closing or before opening.
In practical terms, this means the device starts at a fixed time, runs its program, and then docks back at its charging station. To finish, the user presses start, or the device starts automatically according to the schedule. The difference compared to manual cleaning is not speed, but rather that the surface is treated the same way every day, even on Saturday at 2:00 a.m.
An exception are corridors and entrance areas in larger companies and canteens. There, a device also runs during the day because the dirt is constantly replenished and the path is clear.
The opposite is true for service robots in the dining area, i.e., those handling food and dishes: they operate during service. These are different devices; they are available for purchase.
Models for gastronomic areas
Compact robotic scrubber-dryers are relevant for restaurants and canteens. Large industrial machines don't fit through the aisles or fit within the budget.
| Model | For what | Typical area |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy | Compact cleaning robot, can reach tight spaces | Dining area, corridors, smaller businesses |
| CC1 | Cleaning robot for mixed areas | Dining area and ancillary spaces |
| CC1 Pro AI | successor generation of the CC1 | Larger dining areas, higher frequency |
| TN10 Pro | Cleaning robot for contiguous areas | Canteen, cafeteria, hotel restaurant |
| TN70 Pro | Robotic scrubber-dryers, available with disc or cylinder brushes | Large areas, commercial kitchen environment |
| Scrubber 50 Pro | scrubber-dryer, disc or roller | Contiguous land areas |
| Omnia | scrubber-dryer, disc or roller | Larger areas with clear access |
What is deliberately missing here
This table does not include square meter output or prices. The output figures in the data sheet apply to open, smooth surfaces. In a dining area with tables, the actual value will be significantly lower, and only a test area will reveal the extent of this difference. Prices belong in the quote, as accessories, the number of units, and the charging station are more important factors influencing the price than the unit itself.
When it comes to cleaning outside of the restaurant industry, commercial cleaning robots continue to be used , and people continue to buy cleaning robots . For hotels with lobbies and hallways, there are robots available for use within the hotel itself.
Area, time and personnel
The accounting in the restaurant industry is simpler than in industry because the spaces are small. It has three sizes.
Robot-compatible area
Not the total area, but the unobstructed portion. Significantly higher with chairs upright than with chairs down.
Today's cleaning time
How long does someone need today to cover exactly this area, every day, after closing time?
Available window
How much time is available after the end of the cycle before it is completed or the delivery arrives?
If the current cleaning time for the open area is less than twenty minutes, a machine usually doesn't pay for itself through time savings alone. In that case, a different argument comes into play: consistent quality, documentation, and relieving staff of workload at the end of a long shift. That's a legitimate reason, but different from cost.
The cleaning robot calculator provides an initial estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Can a cleaning robot clean a restaurant kitchen?
Only to a limited extent. Grease, floor drains, wet areas and appliances on the floor make the kitchen the most difficult room.
In practice, a robot takes over the dining area and hallways; the kitchen remains a manual operation. Anyone who promises otherwise doesn't know the scale of the operation.
Which brush is suitable for restaurant floors?
Generally, use a brush instead of a pad. Use a disc brush for grease and grout, and a roller for crumbs and coarse residue.
The pad glides over joints but fails when exposed to grease. It is sufficient on smooth floors without grease.
Does the robot clean during servicing?
Not in the dining area. The window is located either after closing time or before opening.
In corridors and entrance areas of larger companies, a device also runs during the day because the path is clear.
Do I need to put the chairs up?
Not necessarily, but it significantly changes the calculation.
Raised chairs significantly increase the available space. If they remain down, the machine cleans the areas between the tables, and the rest is done manually.
How much does a cleaning robot cost for a restaurant?
The price depends on the device size, accessories, and charging port. We will provide prices in our offer.
First, check the surface and the floor. A device that doesn't clean the floor is too expensive at any price.
Can we test that beforehand?
Yes. We create a test area on your floor, and there are offers that include a trial period.
Two square meters in the grease area say more than any data sheet specification regarding area coverage.
cleans SEBOTICS Our restaurant?
No. We are not a cleaning service provider; we supply and service the equipment.
We handle the selection, setup, training, and service. You take care of the actual cleaning, using equipment instead of just a mop.
Have the soil tested
Tell us how many square meters of free floor space there are in the dining area, what type of flooring is installed, and how far the grease zone extends. We'll tell you which type of brush is suitable, which areas a machine can clean, and where manual cleaning is still required.