In this episode of allinfoodz, Amit Sharma speaks with Danielle Sepsy about the personal side of food and hospitality. Moving beyond systems and performance, they explore identity, vulnerability, and authenticity as Danielle reflects on her journey from baker to entrepreneur and author. The conversation also touches on well-being and the realities of building a meaningful life in the industry.

Music credit: "West in Africa" by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.

In this episode, we move beyond efficiency metrics and ask a more uncomfortable question: can technology truly replicate the human side of service? With insights from fine-dining professional Benjamin Yong, we explore emotional intelligence, service recovery, and the invisible labor that defines great hospitality.

The future may include robots — but what must we protect to keep hospitality human?

Music credit: "West in Africa" by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.

As hospitality races toward automation, the industry must confront a deeper question: what moral and legal status should intelligent service robots hold? Dr. Anna Mattila, along with our host Amit Sharma guide listeners through the complexities of robot personhood, liability, governance, and the shifting boundaries between technology and humanity.

Reference papers:

Sharma, A., & Mattila, A. (2026). Rights and Responsibilities of Hospitality Service Robots. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480251393749

Choi, S., Mattila, A. S., & Bolton, L. E. (2021). To Err is Human(-oid): How Do Consumers React to Robot Service Failure and Recovery?. Journal of Service Research, 24(3), 354-371. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670520978798

Music credit: "West in Africa" by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.