Restaurant automation was big in the 1960s and 70s, but it eventually became a flop. The technology mostly worked, but in the end, customers came more for the "culture" of the restaurant or bar. That is, to chat up the waitress, have a short conversation with the bartender, and most importantly, to not feel lonely.
Part of the "big city prices" is the exclusivity that place delivers, not how fine the process for making the current hot drink is.
Restaurants and bars aren't like most businesses. They don't just deliver product. They deliver some sense of shared culture, some sense of exclusivity, and some sense of 'here is where my kind of people belong.' That is also why we mock chain restaurants, some of which deliver perfectly fine food, but are seen as too 'cookie cutter' for the social experience we demand.
I say bring on the robots. I go to a lot of live music shows and waiting on drinks takes far too long and heaven forbid I get the "too cool for you" bartender and his weird douchbaggery on top of the drink I want. Maybe the bartender role will go the way of the elevator operator or travel agent role. Or higher end places will keep it and the rest will have a bartender sysadmin position to make sure everything keeps running, fills up supply, orders everything, calls service, etc.